Resident urges Little Falls council to block proposed fourplex at 901 13th St SW and to pave neighborhood streets

Jed Ven Ball told the Little Falls City Council on April 6 that he brought two petitions asking the city to stop construction of a proposed multi-family dwelling at 901 13th Street Southwest and to pave several nearby streets.

"I'm here with two separate petitions," Ven Ball said, identifying himself as a resident at 905 13th Street Southwest. He asked the council to halt the multi-family project at 901 13th Street Southwest and to pave 13th Street Southwest from 5th Avenue to 10th Avenue, 6th Avenue Southwest from 13th Street to 12th Street, and 8th Avenue from 13th Street to 12th Street. He said he submitted 19 signatures for the paving petition and about 15 signatures opposing the construction.

Ven Ball said two fourplex buildings have been built in the neighborhood in the last two years and that residents have reported "numerous calls to law enforcement" for problems including excessive speeding and reckless driving. He told the council his household fosters children and said neighbors were concerned about potential exposure to drugs and alcohol if another multi-unit dwelling is built next door. "An overwhelming number of people in the area don't want that multi-family dwelling built," he said.

A council member acknowledged receiving a phone call and an email from other constituents raising similar concerns. The petitions were collected for the record and handed to staff for follow-up.

The council did not take formal action during the public forum. Under the council's public forum rules, such items are typically placed on file, taken under advisement, referred to staff or a committee, or placed on a future agenda for possible action. The transcript does not record whether the petitions were referred to a specific committee or given a follow-up date, and no vote was recorded on the item.