Lynn Levine, 4^th District Park Board candidate

Sierra Club Questionnaire: Responses

1) What urban design principles will you support for riverfront  development?

I am going to answer this, and other questions, with my own views, based on discussions with people I consider to be expert or passionate advocates in a specific area.  For this particular question, I spoke with Fran Guminga from the Mississippi Corridor Neighborhood Coalition (MCNC) whom I met when I was spokesperson for  saving the Ewing Wetlands. (I will describe this area more in question  4).  Later, I was able to return the favor of Fran's support for our effort by testifying at the public hearing regarding the renewal of the permit for the NSP coal fired plant, which I believe contributes a huge proportion of river pollutants.  As part of these coalitions of citizens and part of the leadership circle of Stop the Re-route and Preserve Camp Coldwater Coalition, I have met many people who have taught me so much, including many from the Sierra Club.  Also, as part of the Ewing Wetlands and Stop the Re-route groups, I attended dozens and dozens of watershed district meetings, both Minnehaha Creek Watershed District and Lower Minnesota River Watershed District.

One of the key issues of my campaign is opening public process.  I would want any new development, especially riverfront development to have meaningful input from concerned  citizens, especially those living near newly proposed development.

I would want to begin all planning by focus on the goal of cleaning the river.  The goal of a clean, thriving river must be inviolate.  I would want to remember, during any planning, that we get our drinking water from the Mississippi.  Once our first Americans  actually could drink directly from the river.  The river is habitat  for creatures besides human beings.  It is, among other things, a  major flyway for birds. My first principle of riverfront development is to see any development viewed as an environmental question first, before it is viewed as "real estate" or an "asset" (meaning a financial asset).

I believe that certain neighborhoods have disproportionate shares of problems.  North and northeast Minneapolis have the Kondirator and the NSP coal fired plan on the river.  I think we need to view the riverfront as belonging to all of us and keep fair access to it open, as much as possible, to the public.  I believe that putting high rise apartments on the riverfront is a  mistake.  Willow trees and Cottonwoods are a better choice to keep the river vital.  Inner city youth need places to go and be quiet.  The riverfront should be such a place, wherever possible.

When the Federal Reserve Building was placed on the river, environmental principles were violated that set precedent.  It was partly because of this error that Minneapolis had  to capitulate and allow the Ewing Wetlands development (the developer  threatened to expose environmental violations if he was held to uphold stricter environmental restrictions than the city had been).  A major principle for me is that the Park Board advocacy for the river must be one of leadership in setting a standard of preservation 

2) What will you do as a park board member to reduce air toxic concentrations in our city?

I believe that air toxins can be reduced in two ways. The first and most obvious, is limiting the production of toxins by stricter controls on industries and on car and plane emissions.  As a citizen, I have long been an advocate of this.  I was active in trying to prevent placing a garbage burner in downtown Minneapolis, I have testified for stricter regulations on emissions from NSP’s coal fired plant in Northeast Minneapolis, and I have always tried to drive a car that got outstanding gas mileage.  I also tried to bike whenever possible until I hurt my back in an automobile accident six years ago.  I have long advocated for public transportation and was an early LRT supporter.  Ironically, I am also a recent spokesperson for looking honestly at the problems with the current LRT plan which will intersect downtown traffic and cause cars to idle at crossovers, increasing toxic emissions from an already “unacceptable” rating..  I am interested in learning more about PRT (personal rapid transit) which many environmentalists believe to be the best option.  As park board commissioner, I would work closely with the mayor and city council to encourage citywide planning that places air quality as a high priority.

As part of the Preserve Camp Coldwater Coalition, I have worked in coalition with R.T. Rybak and with ROAR, and I support R.T.’s candidacy.  I have also enjoyed a good working relationship with Sharon Sayles Belton who helped us with our efforts to monitor damage to Coldwater Spring.  I have worked closely with current Park Commissioner Dean Zimmerman, whom I met in the early 1970’s when I was part of Northern Sun Alliance.  Dean’s passionate work toward energy efficient and clean energy park buildings is work I embrace.

On the other hand, another way to keep our air clean is to reduce tree loss.  This seems a very clear Park Board charge.  Urban forests help reduce the impact of air toxins.  Just in the past five years, I have seen several hundreds of trees lost to construction, roads, and even to errors in planning (Lake of the Isles re-design is slated to take at least a dozen and maybe up to forty trees (depending on whom one talks to). Planting new trees is not enough.  Common sense, low tech solutions that are preservation oriented is a major part of my campaign. For example, tax incentives or educational programs to teach people to manage yard waste could eliminate the need to truck everyone’s leaves to a central source.  This may seem like a small suggestion, but neighbors in each community can suggest dozens of other small ones like it.

I suffer from asthma.  I am deeply troubled when, at work in the public schools, I would see a line of children waiting for the nurse to administer asthma medications.  This  was not part of my public school experience.  We are at a crisis level  here and work to change the direction, not slow it down, must begin today.

3) What will you do to maintain and improve our parks and boulevards?

The cornerstones of my campaign are clean water, advocacy for youth and more public participation.  I have been very active in maintaining and improving parks, as a citizen. My role as a Park Board Commissioner would be even more exciting.

First, on a personal level, as recently as September 22, 2001 I participated in a citizen planting.  The “Noble Oaks Recovery Project,” part of Preserve Camp Coldwater  Coalition, planted prairie grasses alongside of two old oak trees that were spared during the Highway 55 construction, but were threatened by road salts.  Our planting provided a buffer for the tree roots.  I also have participated in a ceremonial planting of four oak trees in Loring Park, to commemorate the four sacred oaks lost to construction of Highway 55.  I continue to be available for this kind of personal connection to the parks.

On a policy level, I want to continue to work closely with Annie Young and other environmentally conscious elected officials, who are advocating for greener park buildings.  The Parks should set an example for environmental education.

I have also worked for Minneapolis Public Schools for thirty years and in my work with youth I am known for my creativity and dedication.  I have won three grants for innovative educational programs.  Most recently (summer 1998) I was part of a group of three women who wrote and won a State of Minnesota grant from the Department of Families, Children and Learning, to fund a collaborative effort linking Seward School, Matthews Park and Seward Neighborhood Group in service delivery to streamline services.  This grant provides circle justice, peer mediation and support, undoing racism curriculum and  more. . I have talked to many neighbors in my Cedar Lake Community about clean water.  People are concerned, and on a grassroots level there is movement to do something to help.  I am touched to hear people say that they want to wade into our lakes to pull out mille foil by hand to avoid chemical or invasive control.  I have had conversations with Keith Prussing, current president of the Cedar Lake Park Association about his approach to Buckthorn removal, a careful, slow approach, removing strips of Buckthorn and then replacing it with native plants before moving to the next removal place.  People want to do these things.  I know that the more we return care and control of the parks to the people (rather than major engineering companies who profit from large scale interventions) the better our parks and quality of life will be. 

4) With the increased commercial development what will you do to help protect and expand park and green spaces in our city?

My work to protect green space began in earnest in 1994, as I tried to stop a development across the street from my house.  This development placed ten luxury homes (priced from $450,000 to $1,000,000+) in a 10,000 year old, natural working wetland at the head of the Chain of Lakes.  As the city scurried to increase its tax base, overlooking serious flaws in the Environmental Impact Statement, I led a group of 350-500 concerned citizens advocating for long-range financial costs  to be considered.  The lessons I learned will last a lifetime.  I have  seen “scientific” information altered to fit a desire to move a particular plan forward.  In the course of this work, and my subsequent work to protect Boiling Springs in Savage, Minnesota and to protect the rare oak savannah in Minnehaha park (these last two done in coalition with the Sierra Club) and most current work to protect Coldwater Spring) I met a microbiology professor, several hydrologists and some students of engineering.  I have learned skills that will enable me to intelligently question projects that are being proposed.  I have the determination to do just that.

Last month, when I testified at the Golden Valley city council to stop the placement of luxury homes on a peninsula between Twin Lakes, I once again watched an elected body accept the assurances of a developer’s engineers, this  time stating that the several springs feeding the lakes would not be impacted by the development.  Every time we allow something like this to happen we are heading toward a very expensive, experimental, huge mitigation project to try to somewhat undo the damage that was done. When projects must go forward, then the strictest requirements for limiting the loss of green space must be enforced.

I vigorously opposed the loss of trees in Fair Oaks Park in order to accommodate a large sculpture. Neighbors of this park tell me that my opponent was in favor of the sculpture project.  I am especially committed to this park because it is part of our inner city.  I will remain an advocate for this piece of green space even now, as the Art Institute and Children’s Theater again have their eye on it for expansion.

Anyone who knows my record knows how committed I am to protect and expand parkland and green spaces.  I believe this is imperative for our environment and also for our youth who need places to retreat from our urban lifestyle.

5) Run off from impervious surfaces, roads, sidewalks, roofs and lawn chemicals are impacting our lakes, rivers and creeks.  What will you do to improve water quality in our city’s waterways?

In 1994-1995 I began attending Minnehaha Creek Watershed District meetings on a regular basis, as part of my efforts to protect the Ewing Wetlands. At that time I learned that the ratio of pervious to impervious surface had already exceeded desirable levels in our watershed.  Since then we have lost much of the Ewing Wetlands, lost a thousand trees in Minnehaha Park to a road, Highway 100 has been widened, etc. 

I advocate: *Education and incentives to encourage each neighbor to minimize runoff from their yards.  Simply diverting water flow on a house-to-house basis (e.g. rainwater directed to flow into a flower garden, instead of into the road, and then later watering the garden) could make a huge difference. *Support for agencies that monitor water quality.  When the Manchaca Creek Watershed District (MCWD) tries to create rules to protect our wetlands and waterways they are often opposed by developers.  Lately, some members of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (including my opponent) has joined the forces of those trying to limit the requirements of MCWD, citing recreational needs as a motivation.  Although I am a firm advocate of recreational programs, I believe the park board should support and augment the role of agencies trying to protect our water quality.  I would speak strongly for this is elected  *Limiting, stopping, or placing rigorous restrictions and conditions on developments and roads that impact water quality.  Long-term costs of new development must include a look at what it costs us, as a society, to deal with the runoff these projects. 

A) Would you support a citywide phosphorous ban? This ban has been enacted thanks to the work of so many, including the Sierra Club.  Thank you.  In 1998 I placed a sign in front of my house stating: “Neighbors, please re-think lawn fertilizers” and “This yard is safe for children, birds, pets and dandelions.” B) Would you support a storm water treatment system? Please see general statement about runoff above.  In addition, I think  it was tremendously misdirected to risk our lakes and river by using  them as a dump for storm water and I support placing storm water holding ponds near our lakes, to undo this mistake.  I have serious reservations however, about these holding ponds being the entire plan to protect our waterways, and will elaborate more on that in my next answer. C) Would you support building additional holding ponds to protect our city lakes? The answer is “yes,” but with some reservation.  My first exposure to these ponds was Cedar Meadows, the first pond built in the city.  This pond had many problems and continues to.  My conversation with the designer of the pond confirmed my belief that these ponds do not always work.  Further, the sacrifice of the Ewing Wetlands, a natural working wetland that was accepting storm water was justified by the building of Cedar Meadows.  I have seen this many times since: a horrendous decision to sacrifice green space is justified by the plan to build a storm water holding pond near by.  Sometimes these ponds hold water to prevent flooding, again allowing more development in a watershed that has reached capacity.  I am against the “wetland banking” direction of our watershed districts.  In essence, what happens here is a developer is allowed to buy a part of one of these holding ponds and then is allowed to develop a piece of land that would otherwise be unable to be developed because it could not meet storm water management criteria.    In essence, I would support storm water holding ponds in addition to, but not instead of, other good clean water policies.

8) What would you do to promote bicycle and pedestrian transit?

As I said earlier, an automobile injury has prevented me from personally enjoying my bike, and from experiencing first hand the frustrations I hear bicyclists complain of.  I know friends who do commute to work by bicycles and they often feel endangered by automobiles and the apparent lack of awareness of drivers.  Parking is also a problem, and I cannot imagine why, with all the parking ramps we have for cars, that this should be an issue that cannot be resolved.  A friend of mine was prevented from parking her bicycle outside a fancy downtown hotel on one of the hottest days last summer, when she was hoping to refill her water bottle.  We must encourage hotels and downtown businesses to be more friendly to bicyclists.  Vandalism as well, is a concern, and I have been told that St. Paul is using “bicycle lockers” near bus stops, that work similarly to luggage lockers at the airport, and prevent vandalism.  Dedicated bike lanes are important.  I know that there are also serious problems with connections on bicycle commuter trails. As far as pedestrian transit, crossing certain streets becomes horrendous.

Often bicyclists and pedestrians are hampered because small problems that should be correctable in small ways get bogged down as part of a politically charged plan, which pits factions against each other.  I will advocate for improved public process, which seeks good solutions for all.  For example, I know a lot of the neighbors in the  Highway 55 debacle were in favor of the road because that was the only  way they were told that two dangerous crossing areas could be made safer.  I have spoken with Duane Townsend of the Longfellow neighborhood bicycle transit task force and he agreed that similar things have happened in the struggle to connect bicycle paths that have major disconnects with no way to get from one trail to another. 

Often bicycle path advocates run into opposition from neighbors who are upset about losing hundreds of trees to create a path in the wrong place, or to create a good path, but one that is incorporated as part of a larger, more controversial project.  The Basset Creek bike trail, supported by my opponent is an example of this.  I would dedicate a major portion of my energy to listening to all neighbors (not only those who attend a certain type of meeting or belong to a certain power clique).  I am an expert in finding ways to reach consensus and it is one of my passions. Simple solutions to simple problems can prevent us from finding ourselves in the preposterous situation we find ourselves in today, where tree lovers and bicyclists are sometimes placed at odds with each other.

10) What if anything will you do to promote city level campaign finance reform?

I am endorsed by the Green Party, and this very issue is part of the Green Party agenda.  I am personally running a low budget campaign and would not accept PAC money.  I would not be offered any, anyway, I am sure, because I cannot be convinced to promote any agenda that is right for some but not for the general good.

11) How will you use your position as Park Board Member to direct city procurement policies toward green products and buildings, such as super high efficiency vehicles, passive solar construction, chlorine free paper, recycled carpets and clean fuels.

In the late 1970’s I joined Northern Sun Alliance, an advocacy group dedicated to finding and implementing safe energy alternatives to nuclear energy.  There I met many people I am still working with today, including current Park Commissioner Dean Zimmerman. Dean is preparing to propose a citywide energy policy and I am already one it its supporters.  At Northern Sun Alliance I was part the alternative energy task force, and part of a group who founded what I believe was the first recycling center in Minneapolis.

As I stated earlier I believe the Park Board should be an example to the rest of the city.  If government does not take a long range view, paying more up front for eventual savings both in money and environmental quality, who will?  With all my heart, I will advocate for green products and buildings.

12) What will you do as Park Board Member to help protect Camp Coldwater Springs (Bureau of Mines Land) and the 27 acres of green space that surrounds the area? A)           Would you oppose the Metropolitan Airport’s Commission’s efforts to build on the current land a parking facility or any other type of development that would disturb the current green space? I have been very active in the effort to oppose the parking ramp.  I was the spokesperson for Preserve Camp Coldwater Coalition at a public meeting hosted by Representative Mark Gleason last month, and this was one of my major expressed concerns.  The MAC has given us many verbal assurances that we “need not worry” about a parking lot, but every time a written document appears the parking lot is included in it.  I recently sent a letter to the National Park Service (NPS) to respond to the conditions in the memorandum of agreement urging them not to allow MAC to buy the land.  Since the airline crisis caused by the September 11, 2001 events MAC has withdrawn their offer.  I think this is a good thing. B) Would you support turning the Bureau of Mines Land over to either the Department of Natural Resources, State Park System or Minneapolis Park Board to be restored to its original natural state? I am committed to work with and respect the wishes of the Preserve Camp Coldwater Coalition, a group of dedicated advocates for this piece of historic and sacred land.  I am under the impression that at this time this group is hoping that DNR or the State Park system will manage this land, or that it can be obtained by the Native American people and used as an educational/cultural center.  The Coalition feels a great deal of distrust toward the Minneapolis Park Board, largely because of the loss of Minnehaha Park's oak savannah.   Ceding the parkland to MnDot was supported by some members of the park board, including my opponent, who stated that "I have received over 120 phone calls from citizens concerned about the loss of trees, but they are confused.  MnDot has assured me that only two trees will be lost."  In fact, about one thousand trees were lost.  To add insult to injury, many viewed the public meeting in which the decision was made to trade the oak savannah for parking lots and other less desirable land (on Earth Day eve, 1999) on closed circuit TV, since the Park Board meeting room was too small to hold those who were concerned. The Park Board chose not to move to a room that could hold all concerned citizens, and instead, had a strong police presence guarding the entrance to the public meeting room.  If Minneapolis Park Board could extend itself to the coalition in a way that would increase trust, then I would of course, support the Park Board's stewardship.  

===== Lynn Levine 4 Parks: Safe, clean, green, parks 4 everyone.