Tri-District Council for The Bridges unravels
An advisory board with representatives from three neighborhood district councils charged with reviewing the Bridges of Saint Paul project has dissolved after a five-month process that yielded just two meetings, both of them fairly contentious. Now its likely that the developer will return to the City with a revised proposal in the near future.
The Tri-District Council was originally brought together last Fall at the suggestion of City Councilmember Dave Thune when JLT Development Group withdrew its rezoning proposal for the West Side Flats. Initially it appeared that the three district councils: West Side Citizens Organization (WSCO), Capitol River Council and West 7th/Ft. Road Federation were in agreement about how to proceed as outlined in a letter to JLT signed by the president from each organization. The upshot of that letter: bring back a new proposal that conforms to current TN3 zoning and well talk. Each Council also elected three representatives to the panel.
Not long after that letter went out, WSCO held annual elections that resulted in dramatic changes in the makeup of their board. Of the 14 members elected, 13 were supporters of the Bridges project as proposed. Many within and without the community cried foul over the election, which an audit later showed was largely decided by non-residents, many of who were bussed to the meeting by JLT Group itself.
The subsequent unilateral decision by the new WSCO board to change the committee make-up and process did not help get the group off to a good start, and representatives of the other two district councils raised concerns and doubts at the first meeting about participating in a process with no ground rules and very little trust. During the second meeting, Capitol River Council representative Bob Spaulding came prepared with alternatives to WSCOs proposed process and mission statement for the committee. This time it was some of the WSCO folks that raised concerns about process and trust.
Not long after the second meeting, Thune disbanded the group due to irreconcilable differences among members.
Whats next for the Bridges? WSCO is devising a community engagement process of their own to supplant the enormous body of public input gathered by the previous WSCO board. Their biggest challenge will be creating a process that has true credibility something WSCO claims was lacking in the past. In the meantime, JLT Group has indicated that it will be submitting another proposal within a months time.
As always, stay tuned
Recent press and editorial coverage of the demise of the Bridges panel
Star Tribune: Bridges of St. Paul developer asked to redraw plan (free registration required)
Star Tribune editorial: Bridges clashes with St. Paul sensibilities (free registration required)
Star Tribune: Bridges developer schedules more forums (free registration required)