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Planning commission finds proposed University Avenue property acquisition consistent with Minneapolis 2040 plan
Summary
The Minneapolis Planning Commission on Oct. 6 voted to find a proposed public land acquisition for properties at 2700, 2701 and 2705 University Avenue NE consistent with the Minneapolis 2040 plan, a procedural step that allows the city to proceed toward purchase and later project approvals.
The Minneapolis Planning Commission on Oct. 6 voted to find a proposed public land acquisition for properties at 2700, 2701 and 2705 University Avenue NE consistent with the Minneapolis 2040 plan, a step the commission’s chair said will allow the City Council to pursue acquisition for a future water facility.
The finding does not authorize construction. Commissioner Chris Meyer, chair of the commission, opened discussion on the item and asked staff to describe its relationship to an earlier East Phillips site that had been discussed. City staff member Hedstrom said the University Avenue proposal was intended to replace what had been planned for East Phillips, but he avoided detailed programmatic discussion at the commission meeting, saying only, “yes, that is the general idea.”
A staff representative told commissioners the three properties are not currently owned by the city and that the commission’s action is the first step to allow the Council to begin acquisition. The staff presentation and the staff report cited a state statute that guides the commission’s role in reviewing public land acquisition; the staff report was referenced by the speaker but the precise statute name or number was not specified at the hearing.
Commissioners asked clarifying questions about ownership and the commission’s role. When a commissioner asked whether the commission normally weighs in on public land acquisitions, staff responded that the Planning Commission evaluates consistency with the city’s comprehensive plan for such applications. There were no members of the public who spoke on the consent agenda items during the public hearing; item 7 had been withdrawn and was noted as such.
The motion to find item number 4 consistent with the Minneapolis 2040 plan was moved and adopted without a recorded roll-call vote in the transcript. The commission recorded that six members were present at the start of the meeting; the transcript does not provide a numerical yes/no tally for the motion.
Other procedural business at the Oct. 6 meeting included adoption of the minutes from Sept. 8, approval of the agenda and adoption of consent items 5 and 6. The commission noted that open applications for Planning Commission reappointments closed Sept. 30 and that the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board had not yet named a replacement for a vacant commission seat. The commission announced a Committee of the Whole meeting for the coming Thursday to discuss family-oriented zoning and scheduled its next regular meeting for Oct. 20.
The commission’s finding on the University Avenue properties will be transmitted to the City Council, which must complete property acquisition and any subsequent approvals for facility siting or design.
