Shingle Creek Neighborhood Assn.

SCNA NRP Phase I Review pg 3

Humboldt Industrial Area Project

The Humboldt Industrial Area Visioning project includes a landscape plan, a “revisioning” of the land uses and the development of an eco-industrial park concept. SCNA, along with other Camden area neighborhoods, has undertaken this "visioning" process for the Humboldt Industrial Area. A $15,000 grant from the MCDA, coupled with some matching funds from the Minneapolis Planning Department and an allocation of $10,000 in NRP funds are supporting this effort. Melchert and Walkky Inc., completed a Site Analysis of the Humboldt Industrial Area on May 17th, 2002, identifying five areas and the screening options for each depending on the type of commercial building mix for each area. The first area to have some worked implemented this year has been a greening and burming effort along the eastside of the Humboldt Industrial area.

As part of the visioning, they will be working with the Green Institute for an eco-industrial plan to help attract businesses that utilize the latest technology to keep pollution at a minimum. Additionally, the goal is to attract businesses that can work together either by using each other's products or by recycling each other's waste products. Minneapolis Planning is contributing a matching amount for this project.

A landscaping plan is being developed with matching funds from the Planning Department and students from the University of Minnesota. A research assistant through the University’s Neighborhood Community Revitalization Program researched for the Shingle Creek Neighborhood Association, the land-use options and feasibility of various options for the current available property within the Humboldt Industrial Area. Full results are expected shortly.

A traffic study, funded by CP Rail but under the jurisdiction of SCNA, will become part of the visioning process. Biko and Associates, completed in July of this year, an initial Transportation and Traffic Visioning study. The purpose of this study was two-fold to provide community members an opportunity to shape the transportation future of the HIA and to identify points of agreement and disagreement about the area’s transportation future prior to the beginning of a second, more detailed transportation-engineering study that will be conducted by HDR Inc. The six key findings of this initial study are: 1) The undeveloped northwest corner of the HIA can accommodate additional traffic volumes; 2) Safety concerns prevent Metro Transit buses from crossing the at-grade railroad crossing on the Humboldt Greenway; 3) Although a large number of community members are opposed to re-designation of 49th Ave N as a truck route, the street is built to truck standards; 4) Alternative truck routes were developed in an effort to identify a preferred route that would reduce truck traffic impacts; 5)A proposed bicycle path within railroad right-of-way and along the south side of Humboldt Yard is not feasible, due to fencing on both sides of the bike path to prevent access to the railroad yard to the north and residences to the south; One of three access points to/from the North Mississippi River Regional Park is located at the intersection of 45th/Lyndale. There is no linkage between this access point and the adjacent Lind-Bohanon Neighborhood, and 45th Ave appears to be the most logical street to form such a link.

Shingle Creek Pond

SCNA contributed $50,000 in NRP funds to enhance a wetland project in the neighborhood, Shingle Creek Pond that treats storm water runoff from both Minneapolis and Brooklyn Center. NRP funds are dedicated to amenities such as benches, additional plantings and fencing to make the area attractive as a neighborhood gathering space. This project cleaned up a large area that was unattractive and underutilized that was a target for fly dumping.

Enterprise Facilitation

SCNA provided $10,000 in seed money to support start-up costs for the Enterprise Facilitation™ project. It was designed to offer free services to budding entrepreneurs or those who wanted to expand an existing business. Since this was a business development project, administered by an outside agency, the SCNA had no direct access to number of people served, “successes” versus “failures” and the like. While this seemed like a good idea at the time it was funded, it was difficult to get reports after the director left for another position. It was difficult to measure its effectiveness. Our understanding is that a second round of fund raising for this project was not successful enough to keep the Camden program going.