You ain’t kidding the Planning Commission doesn’t have a clue. Just do what Sanford, Lloyd and Jeffy Schmidt tells us to do, and crush the little people, they don’t matter.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP-8w_d7wD8[/youtube]
So the Friessen family has owned the Lake Lorraine property for over 35 years and has kept it a very PRIVATE place. A 22 acre lake that the public was strictly not allowed to use. But that all may change, with the help of your tax dollars of course;
Developers are hoping to form a public/private partnership with the city of Sioux Falls to maintain and program the park and train system around the lake. Â They’re visiting similar communities in Minneapolis to see how it’s been done there.
“We’re also exploring opportunities with the city’s Live Well program, which the city is promoting right now and they’d like to make this the pilot program,” Van Buskirk said.
This is the first I have heard of this proposal, but like most plans the Parks and Planning department makes, they keep it top secret until they can spring it on the uninformed council. I see they have even used our tax dollars already going to Minneapolis doing ‘research’.
Don’t get me wrong, I think having a public lake in the center of the city is a great idea, in fact I have suggested that Spellerberg be turned into a natural filtration pool. And a trail around the lake would be great. But how is this going to work? Are the Friessens going to give the lake to the city? Will they cease paying property taxes on 22 acres of water? How much will it cost taxpayers to maintain this lake? Remember the Soukup family’s ‘gift’ a few years ago?
This private development will do very well for itself, I think they should maintain the lake themselves and continue to pay the taxes on it. If they want to open it to the public, great, but I think the city needs to get out of the business of taking these supposed ‘gifts’.
Besides, if the family chooses to maintain the lake themselves, they can profit from having different rental activities on the lake.
Well, I guess, mostly me. HA! Well not today, Minnehaha County and the City of SF are considering changing the zoning usage of solar panels. The County Commission has already approved this on their end, but they have to have a joint agreement with the city. Can’t wait to see if there will be any detractors to this. I wouldn’t think so, but who knows, especially after reading about those anti-winders in the Canton and Beresford area. Renewable energy is hazardous to our health, didn’t you know?
I have often felt that the Planning Department, Commission and City Council base their zoning rulings and recommendations on ‘politics’ and ‘Reindeer Games’ (large developers who promise campaign donations, investment opportunities and golden parachute jobs to resigning city staff get what they want) While the little investor/developer has to beg and scrape his way threw the process to get something as simple as a parking lot.
Take Mr. Pappas for instance. He used to lease his building to Bagel Boy near 26th and Minnesota, when they wanted a bigger parking lot, Pappas attempted to expand it on to land he owned behind his building adjacent to his lot and Spring Avenue, he was denied (two years ago) because he wanted access to Spring Avenue.
Well guess what happened in the meantime? Bagel Boy moved (for more parking).
Mr. Pappas proposed his plan again, this time purchasing more of the adjacent property AND not having access to Spring, in fact, more of a buffer. The Planning Commission Approved the NEW plan at the January 8, 2014 meeting (FF: 1:19, Item 21)
Take into account, he had many stipulations put on him, on top of that this was approved with the OLD zoning ordinances, way in advance of the city election in April (Shape Places had been referred). All Mr. Pappas really had left to do was go get his permit after a private engineer provided him a plan.
Not so fast says the Planning Department, there was an election and you have to re-apply. Huh? Jeffery Schmidt from the Planning Department said on several TV shows (100 Eyes, KELO-TV, CityLink) that if your project had already been approved BEFORE the election, you were good to go. So why is this different? Look at the recommendation for the meeting next Wednesday, DENIAL;
This is not the first story I have heard of small contractors, homeowners and developers getting screwed over by the Planning Department. The worst part about all this is is that Shape Places actually gives MORE power to the internal Planning Department employees to PLAY GOD with your property. I have said all along, you never really ‘OWN’ your property if we allow government to tell you what you can do with it. Money talks once again at Carnegie.
Clean water? Why should we care about that?
Once again the Planning Commission fails to do their due diligence at the meeting last night (FF to Item #5). Maybe I am wrong, but isn’t the job of the commission to analyze the Planning Department’s evaluation and recommendation, ask questions and be a checks and balance of the department?
They were re-zoning a plot from C-4 to Light Industrial because the property owner wanted to build (some kind) of manufacturing facility, which is well within in their rights, they also do not have to disclose what kind of operation it is, according to the NEW Shape Places ordinance. But they were clear, it was manufacturing.
The adjacent property owner wanted a deferral so that a water study could be done since he has drinking water wells, and according to him, the study required by Federal Law before a re-zone or such a plant can be built.
Two commissioners questioned the requirement and voted against the re-zoning. Gaspar and Dunlap. Dunlap even tried to get a vote on deferral so the study could be done and was shot down. Miss ‘Always right, just ask me’ Jesse Schmidt proclaimed that with Shape Places, the property owner can build whatever they want to after the re-zone. Well, gee Jesse, wouldn’t this have been your opportunity to make sure laws were followed by the Planning Department BEFORE you approved the Re-Zone? It’s just a simple water study, not a Walmart storming in. Apparently, Jesse doesn’t seem to be to concerned about clean drinking water, and she sits on the Planning Commission. Pretty scary.
So it moves on to the City Council, hopefully some of them understand the importance of clean drinking water and shove this rezone down the toilet.
l3wis