May 2006
Niki Valens, Arthur Knowles, and Melinda Ludwiczak (Members of the NRP Steering Committee), Mark Hinds (Pedestrian Bridge and Redevelopment Chair), and Sarah Linnes-Robinson (Staff) attended the May NRP Policy Board to present the approved Kingfield Neighborhood Phase II NRP Plan. After a presentation that covered the points noted below, the group took questions. To say that the plan was well received is to state it mildly. It was unanimously approved by the Policy Board and will now proceed to City Council for approval.
Presentation Points:
Successes of the Phase I Plan and how that experience informed the Phase II Plan:
- RiverLake Greenway
- Kingfield Farmers’ Market
- Business Façade Program/Business Mural Project/Nicollet Streetscape Improvements
- Development of Affordable and/or Accessible Housing in Kingfield with Minneapolis Public Housing, Project for Pride in Living, Habitat for Humanity, and Hennepin County
- Emergency Home Repair Grant for Low Income Homeowners
- Environmental Organizing including the boulevard tree planting project and a stormwater management project both occurring this year.
- Strengthening the organization/ building board and committees and improving outreach on a block-by-block basis via personal outreach and via the newsletter and establishing website and e-mail list.
These key projects will continue in Phase II, along with increased attention on Affordable Housing, a growing issue in Kingfield, spearheaded by the KFNA Redevelopment Committee.
Outreach efforts for Phase II:
Community Kick-Off in September. This meeting was advertised for months in multiple issues of the KF News, email list, and SW Journal in both English and Spanish.
Attendees were invited to join KFNA committees to continue planning on brainstormed lists of projects generated at the Kick-Off. Community Members were repeatedly invited to the committee meetings.
City representatives were invited to a public meeting in October to provide information to KFNA regarding current and future plans and projects that might impact the neighborhood.
The Phase II Plan was presented to the KFNA Board in February 2006. The board endorsed the Plan and agreed to transmit it to the NRP for legal review and departmental and jurisdictional review and comment. The KFNA Board reviewed the jurisdictional comments in March. Community Member were once again invited to this meeting.
The Phase II Plan was summarized in the March edition of the Kingfield News, which arrived in homes 30 days before the KFNA Annual Meeting. Full copies of the plan were made available on the KFNA web site and at the KFNA office.
The April Annual KFNA Meeting was also publicized via a direct-mail postcard, posters throughout the neighborhood, and the Kingfield E-mail List.
Main highlights of the plan.
Summarize the three committees that worked on sections of the Plan.
- Redevelopment Committee — Housing and Property Development
- NRP Committee — Community Building and Safety
- Green Committee– Environmental and Transportation
Mention the KEY IDEAS in each section:
Housing Development and Redevelopment
- Affordable housing,
- Mixed-use development,
- Home improvement loans for all incomes
- Home improvement grants for low-income homeowners
Community Building—projects that connect neighbors to each other and to KFNA including:
- Support of Block Clubs
- Partnering with MLK Park for events and programs
- Kingfield Farmers’ Market
- Support of the newly formed Nicollet-East Harriet Business Association (which includes all of Kingfield)
- Outreach to underserved populations
Green
- Local environmental projects and activities
- Green Building Sites
- Transportation initiatives including BRT and KBP
Lastly, as chair of Redevelopment and KBP you are present to inform the policy board of some of the longer-term projects of the association. Explain…briefly…the work KFNA is doing to encourage affordable housing and long range planning for the neighborhood (mention Local Commons, skim over Lander if you mention the working together to plan a project that will fit the needs of the neighborhood without details of what it is) Then talk about KBP, the recent DrawBridge contest, etc.
Minutes provided by Linnes-Robinson, 6/6/06.