The 2040 plan. It is full of lofty goals and short on commitments, except in the rezoning. Right now the rezoning is a gift to developers, and benefits the wealthier parts of the city and punishes the inner city. It needs to be re-examined to make a more equitable city—more family, single room occupancy (SRO), low-income and small investor friendly. It should make sense to buy a vacant home on your block, fix it up, rent it out as an investment. It isn’t now. No more expensive condos. We need to build housing for the citizens we have, not the citizens the wealthy wish we had, or want to have. Better transportation, fewer cars, higher density are not bad ideas if they serve all of us.
The city government has not shown the interest in following its stated goals. A good example is the East Phillips Urban Farm proposal, which met the goals in the plan. Instead the city rejected the wishes of the neighborhood and the goals of the plan and is embarking on a path which will further degrade the environment of a community which has shown more than its share of environmental degradation.