Memo: February 29, 2008

To: Concerned Citizens of Fridley

From: Tom Myhra, Chair

Subject: CCofF Meeting
              March 13, 2008, 7:00 p.m.
              Fridley Community Center

Topic: Mr. Tony Pistlli, District 2 Metropolitan Council Representative. This district includes Fridley, Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Robbinsdale, Osseo, Spring Lake Park, Columbia Heights, and Hilltop.

If my memory is accurate (and to believe that takes a real leap of faith), the Concerned Citizens of Fridley organization is in its 4th year of existence.

Quite a few folks have told me, after a meeting, that they feel frustrated because so often we can’t get any action on matters of housing that we believe are necessary to keep Fridley a community of neighborhoods that has always been a fine place to live and raise a family.

Often we get answers from those in authority that CCofF housing wishes can’t be considered because of certain state laws, regulations from the Livable Communities Act, and especially regulations from the Metropolitan Council that negates such wishes.

Mr. Pistilli will not have a long, canned speech. He has told Pam that he hopes the CCofF members will bring along to the meeting written questions. He will also entertain questions from the audience, and will engage in discussion.

I hope that you will come to this meeting so our critics can’t make the claim that Fridley residents are not really concerned if housing patterns in Fridley should be changed as planned by Brandes Place, the Town Center development, and the DeMello project.

After our speaker is finished, members who have been attending HRA meetings, Planning Commission meetings, and Council sessions, will bring you up to date on the present status of the Comprehensive Plan.

SEE YOU AT THE MEETING ON THURSDAY MARCH 13, 2008, 7 p.m.

  WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED

• Fridley already meets the standard for housing density set by the Metropolitan Council.
• Fridley already meets the standard for affordable housing set by the Met Council.
• The Met Council has no enforcement power for housing decisions.
• No one's property is totally safe from the coveting eye of a developer.
• Our best defense against unneeded and unwanted development is an amended Comprehensive Plan.
  

WHAT WE BELIEVE

• Fridley citizens want to retain the housing character of Fridley.
• Fridley citizens want revitalization of R1 housing with remodeling and maintenance incentives.
• Fridley citizens want replacement of dilapidated R1 housing with “move-up” housing or Habitat for Humanity housing.
  

We need a City Council that will consider the interests of current residents instead of catering to developers.

WHAT WE RECOMMEND

Fridley should take great pains to insure that it remains a middle class, working community and a great place to raise a family. Preservation and revitalization of existing R1 housing should occur with incentives for remodeling and maintenance. The city should investigate every means possible to encourage young families to buy existing homes in Fridley, as over the next 20 years a great number of them will become available.

1. Zoning should be an acknowledgment of a long-term contract with residents and only for the most critical reason should that contract be broken.
2. Re-zoning for housing should be rare and never done to achieve higher density of housing.
3. The housing diversity in Fridley, at the present time, is satisfactory.
4. Any housing that is demolished should be replaced with the same zoning and type of housing. (Single family detached with single family detached, etc.)
5. Re-zoning for redevelopment into mixed housing and commerce (S2) should occur rarely, if at all.
6. The universal non-partisan goal in America is to increase home ownership. In Fridley the single family detached home ownership stands at 70% and rental housing at 30%. Fridley should maintain or increase that ownership percentage.

How citizens of Fridley ranked the housing goals following the final session of four informational "forums" sponsored by the City Council as a part of the review moving toward amending the "Housing Section" of the Comprehensive Plan.

We need a City Council who will preserve the character of our neighborhoods and formulate a Comprehensive Plan that reflects the needs of the citizens and not the wants of developers
and staff.

New Leadership Now

Although we focus our energies on housing and development issues that will effect the future of Fridley, we share your concerns as well. Some of these might be:  Taxes,  school funding, maintaining open spaces and eminent domain. Or perhaps your concern lies in the
building up of exorbitant “rainy day” funds . All of these are important issues that will shape the future of Fridley in the short and long term. But above all else, we must stop the constant changes to housing patterns in Fridley. All three ward council seats will be on the ballot Nov. 7 th . This is an opportunity to replace those who are not addressing the needs of citizens. Fridley needs new leadership now!

The Concerned Citizens of Fridley is a non-partisan group of Fridley residents who are concerned with the direction the present City Council is taking us and believe that the status quo has got to go.

We encourage you to join us in making a change and by voting for citizens who will represent your interests and not special interests.

Ask your candidate of choice if they have signed the Concerned Citizens candidate pledge. Prepared and paid for by the Concerned Citizens of Fridley 6360 Able Street N.E., Fridley, MN 55432 Tom Myhra 763-571-3342

Attention Citizens of FRIDLEY

The City of Fridley conducted an annual survey in 2005 with some of the following results.

• The majority of citizens surveyed favored stricter housing maintenance.
• The majority of people surveyed felt that single-family affordable homes were a number one priority in our city.
• The majority of citizens surveyed felt single-story, senior homes were a priority for our city.

Regardless of the results of this survey, the current city council continues to push for high-density, multi- family housing and their plan for senior housing is the approval of multi-story, multi-unit complexes , which were not acceptable to current neighbors with single-family dwellings. The council's way of thinking needs to be changed .  You can make this change with your vote on November 7th!