Well, That Was Different

[davidschroth]

At last night's Community Issues meeting, there was a presentation on the proposed Master Plan for Washburn Fair Oaks Park. Commissioner Tabb wanted a sense of how the neighborhood felt about the two alternatives going to the Park Board - One with the Chinese Friendship Garden, and on without the Chinese Friendship Garden.

For the first time time since the neighborhood started talking about the issue, the vote wasn't even close - it was 11 for, one against, and two abstentions on a resolution supporting the Master Plan with the Chinese Friendship Garden.

They're still accepting comments on the Master Plan, so opponents of the Chinese Friendship Garden probably weigh in ASAP.

Comments

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Were there any representatives from the Institute of Arts at your meeting?

K.

[davidschroth.livejournal.com]

Not that I recall. There were a couple of guards from either MIA or MCAD there receiving an award from the Police Department, but they didn't stick around.

[buttonlass.livejournal.com]

Chinese friendship garden sounds nice...

[davidschroth.livejournal.com]

Not everyone agrees with that sentiment.

[7ivy7.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the update, David.

I'm a bit surprized. When I attended the meeting devoted to the preliminary planning at the Waldorf school it seemed that the immediate neighbors were in agreement that the present lay of the land and openess was something they wished to preserve.

The only ones supporting the changes as proposed seemed to be more concerned with the use of the park by the homeless and potentially (in one case demonstrably) dangerous element. They seemed to think any change which might discourage that element would be preferable to the status quo. They were in the minority.

I still feel that the scale of the original proposal was a bit precious and out of scale with the existing surroundings and therefor less than aesthetically pleasing. I also wonder about the relative usefullness of the new design compared to the existing configuration given the current use of the space by neighborhood residents.

However, I have moved out of Whittier and no longer walk throug the park on a daily basis. I guess it's time to let those who live in the area have their say. I also need to review the latest plans as I think some changes may have been made.

[davidschroth.livejournal.com]

I'll point out that it is a Minneapolis park, and as a resident of Minneapolis, you have just as much say as a resident of Whittier.

The plans for the garden appear to have undergone significant change, inspired by the feedback to date.

I still voted for the plan with the garden, because that doesn't foreclose the possibility of something that might be special, but it doesn't mean that there *will* be a Chinese Friendship Garden in the park - the organization proposing the garden still has to come up with a significant chunk of money, and the actual plans for the garden still have to get through community review/comments if they come up with the money.

I'm skeptical of the likelihood of the Friendship garden happening, but I think the proposal catalyzed "good things" for the park.

[7ivy7.livejournal.com]

You are right about the change. I looked at the current plan with and without the Friendship garden and it has evolved cosiderably incorporating the views which I heard at the Waldorf meeting, The arboculture and the lighting plans are excellent. I did take the oppurtunity to post my reaction online, still favoring the plan without the Friendship garden but expressing my appreciation of the incorporation of neighbors' input and my willingness to entertain the possibility of a friendship garden