I attended the almost 90 minute meeting tonight (I will have a YT video up soon if you don’t have FB) and it was pretty clear what the neighborhood wanted, GREENSPACE! There was a standing vote, and besides the reporters and city/school staff, everyone was standing in approval of leaving it a park.

The most interesting part was that it seems now the staff from the city and the school district said they have NO PLANS for it. Kevin Smith from the city further pointed out that they don’t own the property but help maintain it.

Funny how transparency works, SUNSHINE WINS THE DAY!

33 Thoughts on “Pettigrew & Cathedral Neighborhood Associations Body Check the City & School District

  1. Green Acres on May 10, 2022 at 6:49 am said:

    Affordable housing!! Affordable housing!! We need affordable housing!!

    You want to put it where?

    Green spaces!! Green spaces!! We need our green empty spaces!!

  2. Mark Peterson on May 10, 2022 at 6:54 am said:

    Perhaps the neighborhood should pool their money and buy the site from the school system. There was a school there and there was not at that time area for green space, gardens, etc. But the rest of us taxpayers should not have to buy it for them. I live about 2 miles from any city parks and I don’t think the school system should provide one for me and my family.

  3. Watching from the Deep South on May 10, 2022 at 9:58 am said:

    “SUNSHINE WINS THE DAY!”

    Just keep in mind that the sun does eventually set and usually nothing good happens after dark, especially when government entities are involved.

  4. l3wis on May 10, 2022 at 10:37 am said:

    If you watch the meeting you will understand that that neighborhood already is crammed with affordable housing, and they have actually asked the city to do more of it (filling empty lots and run-down homes) the problem with getting rid of this green space is once it is gone, it’s gone. The school district has to be very careful with how they proceed due to state and federal regulations, it may not even be legal to sell this land for affordable housing use. Central church actually wants it for a pre-school, community center and church while leaving about 1/3 of it a park. But all that aside, it has more to do with transparency and input from the neighbors, which neither the city or school asked for. Trust me, they were planning something.

  5. Very Stable Genius on May 10, 2022 at 2:15 pm said:

    They were for it before they were against it. For once, this attitude hasn’t caused a war, or a new building to be built.

  6. Fear & Loathing in Sioux Falls on May 10, 2022 at 2:17 pm said:

    Speaking of ‘Green Acres’, what about a corner of that lot for a “Boutique Grocer”, would that work? #DraggingADruckerIntoIt

  7. l3wis on May 10, 2022 at 2:21 pm said:

    Actually that is the plan from Central Church, they want to build a new place and use the current space for a neighborhood grocery store.

  8. F&LinSF on May 10, 2022 at 2:40 pm said:

    I hope the grocer isn’t too big. I prefer a smaller, corner establishment with an ethnic feel to it. I wouldn’t want something grand like a big new house in McKennan Park. It’s important to maintain the historic message and authenticity of a given neighborhood. #Food4Thought
    #HowFarIsChick-fil-AFromHere? #BananasAreOnSale!

  9. Mike Lee Zitterich on May 10, 2022 at 3:04 pm said:

    Scott is correct here, before anyone pays cash or thinks about buying this land, you may want to do a land title search, to trace back to the original “land grant” given by the Federal Government. If this is Section 16 Land, the land can only be used for very specific purposes. You would have to renogiate new terms regarding the patent. Lincoln Elementary was one of the first schools built in Sioux Falls (1889), not only was it a historical landmark, the land was ‘granted’ by the Federal Govt to be reserved for “public education”. If the school was torn down, it can only become a Public Park, Nature Area, Gardens, Science Center, or better yet, a New School. If that is the case, the neighborhood would not have to buy the land, they simply need to enforce the “grant” to ensure that the land is used for it’s intended use.

  10. D@ily Spin on May 10, 2022 at 9:24 pm said:

    The city starts these conflicts because they’re working on another something they want to hide from the public. Keep in mind what they do is always malevolent. Once the condemned homes are moved the property where they’re now at becomes valuable. The best way to repay insider favors is in this manner. The county can auction land with unpaid property taxes. School property is untaxable. If the city moves homes here there will be a cloud on title. Would you want to pay on a mortgage for a home that can be bulldozed at any time? This matter is simply a way to drop salvage on school land so it can later be removed at public expense.

  11. D@ily Spin on May 10, 2022 at 9:37 pm said:

    The city sucks in the real estate business; 80 million for useless railroad yards, an unfinished 8 story parking garage, an aquatics center built on federal land, the unprofitable Pavilion, a wrinkled Denty with poor attendance, etc.. The mayor should focus on hundred million dollar TIF gifts to insiders. At least then there won’t be embarrassing public failures with ongoing bond debt.

  12. D@ily Spin on May 11, 2022 at 12:39 pm said:

    Old buildings on public land in a slum. It’s a scheme using city funding for demolition. Vacant developer land value increases. More blight gets moved into a problem neighborhood.

  13. D@ily Spin on May 11, 2022 at 12:56 pm said:

    It’s no surprise mayors and councilors can’t transition into the private sector. They’re not qualified for honest transparent responsible positions. It seems they realize it’s their last hurrah. They must conjure devious tactics stealing public funds while disguised as a citizens representative.

  14. Conservative Here on May 11, 2022 at 4:20 pm said:

    Central Church is going to build a Grocery store in a food desert?? Those terrible terrible Christians you rail against all the time are just up to no good. How dare they try to fill a void in an area that needs it.

    If that becomes something I cannot wait for another scathing post about something negative about HOW they do it or their views on how it works, etc etc.

  15. Further Fear & Loathing on May 11, 2022 at 7:49 pm said:

    Part of the reason the “food desert” exists is due to a lack of moisture for the Jesus plows. God is telling us something (Someday?).

  16. Conservative Here on May 12, 2022 at 8:42 am said:

    Further Fear & Loathing – That might be the lamest retort and joke I have ever seen. Lots of scorn and mocking but, yet cannot refute the fact that Central Church is doing something good that most of the Godless bunch rarely do but, expect Government to do for them.

  17. l3wis on May 12, 2022 at 8:53 am said:

    Hey, I like Central Church’s idea to build this facility, it is worth looking at, but if you were at the meeting you quickly realize they don’t have the money to do it. They made some promises about raising the money, but you got the feeling there was mixed feelings about that.

  18. Conservative Here on May 12, 2022 at 9:58 am said:

    I am a member of Central Church and very involved in many aspects of it (not tooting my own horn) . I know if this is something we are moved to do, we will do it as when we are passionate and moved by God to do this, it will happen. Our Church is very focused and passionate about this neighborhood. I wish some of you would take the time to actually come visit and see what Churches like Central are really doing and WHY we do what we do vs just bashing us and saying all these negative things.

  19. l3wis on May 12, 2022 at 11:52 am said:

    I’m not bashing the idea, I like it, but I don’t live in that neighborhood and got the feeling the neighbors don’t want it. Believe it or not, not everyone in this city is a Central Church Christian so believe it or not, they may not think like you. There are Catholics, Muslims, Jews, agnostics, atheists, all kinds of people that make this city move. Don’t always assume that if I bash or like an idea means I am for or against because a bunch non-affiliated Christians are behind it. Like I said, good idea, I just don’t think the neighborhood is sold on it, and you have to convince them first.

  20. FF&L on May 12, 2022 at 11:54 am said:

    “Retort”, is that what some Christians use when they really want to use the other “R” word?

  21. l3wis on May 12, 2022 at 11:54 am said:

    BTW, weren’t you just railing a few months ago that there is no food desert in SF? But you like the idea of a GS there now?

  22. Conservative Here on May 12, 2022 at 12:30 pm said:

    FF&L – Retort or use another R word? I am not even following what this other “R” word is you speak of and your response makes no sense.

  23. Conservative Here on May 12, 2022 at 12:36 pm said:

    I was railing against the fact we use words like Food Desert and make it sound like no one can get food in Sioux Falls. SF is not that big you cannot get food with minimal effort is ridiculous. If you need or want to eat, its very doable.

    Do I like the idea of a non profit stepping in to help out the less fortunate, of course I do. Do I think its the job of some soulless entity like a business or Govt to do it, no I am not a fan. Too often in this country we rely on businesses or Govt to do OUR work.

  24. Very Stable Genius on May 12, 2022 at 12:56 pm said:

    CH, glad to see that Central Church is doing what it’s doing to address the food desert issue in this town as well as other social issues, but aren’t many of your fellow parishioners the same voters who for vote for conservative politicians who cause and ignore these problems?

    The true difference between a conservative and a liberal is that liberals see life as an experience and want to empower people so all can have the true experience of life, while conservatives see life as an experiment, where they like to play with life and thus energize and empower themselves at the expense of others in so doing. This is truly the crux of the difference between a conservative and a liberal’s response to social concerns.

  25. FF&L on May 12, 2022 at 1:41 pm said:

    CH, there is an innocence about you, isn’t there? Sometimes (Someday?) an innocence can be charming.

  26. Conservative Here on May 13, 2022 at 10:39 am said:

    VSG – I would say the same thing about Liberals/Progressives as too many of them virtue signal about things like diversity and everyone is equal yet continue to push back and tell Conservatives our views don’t count. They do but, they just don’t fit into their world view

    You are also 100% correct that many Christians these days rarely even attempt to live the values they claim to uphold, now this can be hard as we are human beings but, many do not attempt it at all.

    I think when we all come out of L or C bubbles and talk we find we have more in common about our wants and desires out of life than we do our differences. The biggest difference we have HOW to solve the problems we all face

    Lets take Poverty for Example. The Liberal view is we are all responsible and we should all be forced to pitch in and pay for it and let some Govt Entity fix it. I on the other hand don’t want any Govt tentacles as its rife with Corruption, greed, inefficiencies, etc. The fact we are always fighting about and complaining about this stuff is proof enough. We have already ceded enough power to our Overloads and we keep giving them more by the day. I never understand why we want to give them more.

    I would probably say that the “classic” Liberal is a friend of Liberty and while we may disagree on taxes, govt role, etc, I can at least respect them in their views and thoughts and many times their heart is in the right place and that’s a start. Today there are very few of them around and they have been replaced with Intolerant progressive’s who only want to exterminate their opponents. The violence, CHAZ/CHOP zone in Portland, burning of cities, doxing of SC Justices homes, etc are all done by these groups.

  27. Conservative Here on May 13, 2022 at 10:48 am said:

    FF&L – You are still not making any sense and maybe I am too dense to understand the nuances of your code speak but, if you have something to say, maybe just say it. Please explain the “R” Word you want me to read into? Could it possibly be that “Retort” means what it means and has no other meaning?

  28. FF&L on May 13, 2022 at 1:42 pm said:

    My Dearest CH:

    But if I tell you what the “R” word is, then I will have then expressed it, which would be politically incorrect from the stand point of a liberal, but then, if I did, I would not be able to discuss that reality with you (Beyond what I am already doing) without offending the conservative logic behind CRT. It’s truly a political paradox, or a black hole, but I am not sure if I am even suppose to utter or type those words anymore, either.

  29. CH,

    As a liberal, I do believe your conservative views count. That is why I engage you often. I too am a Christian, but I have always heeded the lessons of Jesus and the moneychangers, which I don’t think most conservative Christians do. AND, it is this distinction that is at the root of the difference between experiencing and experimenting.

  30. "Woodstock" on May 13, 2022 at 2:14 pm said:

    “‘… doxing of SC Justices homes’?”…. “Huh, the Dutch Mafia must have a continuing Ed program for any and everyone”…

  31. Conservative Here on May 14, 2022 at 9:42 pm said:

    VSG – I appreciate the sentiment and you are correct about the money changing table period. I don’t prescribe to that either and I wish many were better at that. I could probably discuss this all day, but probably not the forum for it. I could discuss how I view Liberal Christians not adhering to Gods word on many fronts as well and I almost find a Liberal Christain to be an Oxymoron but, I don’t want to prescribe what’s in a man’s heart but, I do find them interesting topics to discuss.

  32. Blasphemo on May 15, 2022 at 11:42 am said:

    CH: “…Intolerant progressive’s who only want to exterminate their opponents. The violence, CHAZ/CHOP zone in Portland, burning of cities, doxing of SC Justices homes, etc are all done by these groups.” Oh, yeah – “These groups are a violent bunch.” Um, did ya’ hear what happened 1/6/21 in DC…and who did it? I think there were a lot of exclamations & actions exemplifying “exterminating their opponents.” Your credibility is ZERO, pal.

  33. Oh, it is not an oxymoron. If Jesus was alive today, he’d be a socialist, and I am not even that liberal. I am a capitalist, but I believe in good capitalism and not predatory capitalism. As a Christian, I want to empower people and not use them or judge them. As far as a conservative or liberal being the better Christian, well, what stops either from the blank check of: “Just men (women) are sinners”?

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