Prospect Park East River Road Improvement Association, 5/19 meeting
VICTORIN-VANGERUD TO LEAVE PROSPECT PARK UNITED METHODIST: Pastor Nancy Victorin-Vangerud announced that she has been reassigned to Hamline University where she will serve as chaplain and director of the Wesley Center for Spirituality, Service and Social Justice. Victorin-Vangerud, who will leave for Hamline at the end of June, has been with Prospect Park United Methodist for three years. She thanked PPERRIA members and the board for welcoming her and her family to their community.
COMMITTEE RESPONSIBILITIES APPROVED: PPERRIA members ratified the responsibilities of the executive, livability, zoning and land use, transit, housing, education and human services, finance, membership, and personnel committees. PPERRIA approved adding a planning committee that will develop a master plan for the neighborhood that would allow the board to take a proactive stance toward development and transit.
PPERRIA voted to make the Fourth Street Task Force a permanent committee. The committee will continue to represent the neighborhood on issues that impact the residential portion of Fourth Street Southeast between Malcolm Avenue and the Minneapolis city limits. Members also affirmed and recognized the work of the Bylaws Task Force.
RALPH AND MARY RAPSON MEMORIAL APPROVED: PPERRIA approved a memorial for architect and long-time Prospect Park resident Ralph Rapson and his wife Mary. Mr. Rapson, who designed the original Guthrie Theater and the Rarig Center at the University of Minnesota, passed away on March 29 at the age of 93. Board member Betts Zerby is exploring having a plaque affixed to one of the stones at the corner of Clarence and Seymour Avenues across the street from the Rapson’s home.
ZONING CONCERNS: Board member Karen Murdock expressed concern about the imminent development of a five-bedroom duplex at 1217 Yale Ave. This sparked a broader discussion about areas of the neighborhood that are zoned R4-5. A developer is proposing a five-bedroom four-plex in Prospect Park that would only be required to have one off-street parking space per unit, leaving potentially 15 cars to find parking on the street. Board president Dick Poppele noted that the Southeast Como and Marcy-Holmes neighborhoods have “experienced a real deterioration” as a result of similar developments.
Ward 2 Council Member Cam Gordon said, “Maybe you can make the case that, if an area zoned R4-5 in the ‘80’s is still being used as single-family homes or duplexes now, it was zoned inappropriately.” Gordon noted that it is typically difficult to rezone to R1-2 because property owners object.
BOOK EXCHANGE: Board member Dean Abrahamson is working on establishing a free book exchange for Prospect Park residents in the Luxton Park Recreation Center.
SUMMER CONCERT SERIES: Bluegrass band, Rugged Road, will open the PPERRIA summer concert series June 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the Pratt School Outdoor Amphitheater.
NEXT: Board meeting, June 23, 2008
MEETINGS: 4th Monday monthly, 7 p.m., unless otherwise announced. Refreshments, conversation 6:30-7 p.m. Prospect Park United Methodist Church, 22 Orlin Avenue SE
CONTACT: 331-2970, “www.pperria.org”:http:www.pperria.org
last revised: May 21, 2008