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Important Articles : Fridley Concerned Citizens want a change Cities preparing comp plan updates Past CCofF Related Links: Comprehensive Planning For Fridley Fridley 2020 Comprehensive Plan United Nations Division for Sustainable Development - Agenda 21 Thoreau Institute |
Concerned Citizens of Fridley
Tom Myhra, Chair
6360 Able Street
Fridley, MN 55432
Dear Fridley Council Candidate,
Our organization, the Concerned Citizens of Fridley (CCofF), has been in existence for four years. It grew out of concern that Brandes Place project was the beginning of a redevelopment policy that would radically change the housing patterns in Fridley.
Though the City Council turned down the project on a 3-2 vote, negligence and just plain apathy on the part of the Council and city staff to make sure the measures necessary to complete the denial didnt get done. The Council reversed its decision and voted in favor of the project rather than face a legal challenge.
The Brandes Place project, now complete, put 16 families in four multi-family buildings in the space that could have accommodated four single-family homes. Many times City Council members, when pressed by citizens about the reasons for moving to high density housing, said that Fridleys Comprehensive Plan calls for such and is what the citizens wanted.
In reality the citizens of Fridley got together and formed the CCofF to counter the move to multi-family, multi-story, high density, low income, rental housing projects. The movement toward these types of housing comes to us from Academia/ Foundation/ Met Council/ City government/ Greedy Developer Complex.
The CCofF pressed for review and reform of Fridleys Comprehensive Plan. After a number of Met Council pre-planned public meetings, the meeting attendees told the authorities that the housing priorities were all wrong and that repair, refurbishing, remodeling and maintenance of the current 70% home ownership and 30% rental was, by far, the most important goal. The review study was completed months ago, but the Council is stalling and has taken no action on the matter.
The members of the CCofF now believe that this radical changing of housing patterns, adopted by the current City Council, can only be stopped by electing new members to the Council. To accomplish this, the CCofF is seeking to discover how each candidate stands on a variety of issues.
Enclosed are a brochure that gives information on the CCofF and a pledge sheet, which we are asking you to read and sign if you agree with the statements. Please return the pledge sheet to us by September 1, 2006, using the self addressed, stamped envelope provided. If not returning the signed pledge it will be assumed that you are not in agreement with the statements.
Yours for a better government,
Tom Myhra, Chair
Concerned Citizens of Fridley
2006 Fridley Candidate Pledge
As a candidate for city council member in the City of Fridley I am willing to sign and attest by my signature to the following pledge:
1. I pledge to maintain the open forum , to listen to the concerns of citizens regarding any and all issues and to "really" hear them. And I would be willing to submit major issues to referendum vote .
2. I pledge to work to change the Comprehensive Plan to reflect the true needs of the city, based on the true input of the citizens.
3. I pledge to always demand the preponderance of evidence to establish blight and will never allow eminent domain to be used to benefit developers or used as a threat to coerce property owners into the sale of their property.
4. I pledge to safeguard the zoning that was established in Fridley, to always view zoning as a long-term contract between the city and the citizens, and to eliminate rezoning to benefit developers.
5. I pledge to work to establish housing maintenance criteria that will help to maintain the excellent housing stock available in Fridley to attract young families to our city.
6. I pledge to establish criteria to maintain Fridley housing ratio as 70% single family detached home ownership to 30% high density (such as townhouses, multi-family rental, and condos).
7. I pledge to work to keep the public informed of any movement by city staff to raise money through taxes or any other means to create an exorbitant "rainy day fund."
I understand that by entering the political arena in the City of Fridley that I become a public servant and will do my very best to address the needs of the public.
___________________________________
Candidate for Fridley City Council
Ward_______
Prepared and paid for by the Concerned Citizens of Fridley
6360 Able Street N.E.
Fridley, MN 55432
Tom Myhra 763-571-3342