MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - The 2040 Plan is a vision that will guide growth in Minneapolis over the next two decades, but the project has drawn many critics.
Monday night, the Planning Commission approved the final draft of the plan, with only one dissenting vote from Amy Sweasy. Before the vote, the commission heard from members of the public.
Some call the project a growth plan, while others call it a social experiment.
“The significant ‘up-zoning’ the city calls for in the 2040 Plan hasn’t been done anywhere else in this country,” said one woman at Monday night's public hearing. “This is more like a social experiment of epic proportions.”
The Minneapolis 2040 Plan will increase density and encourage more economic and racial diversity through zoning changes. Plenty of people fear it will change the face of their neighborhood.
“There’s no guarantee that it will solve the housing crisis,” said another woman. “There’s no guarantee this will create affordable housing but there is a guarantee it will benefit developers.”
“The ignorance and arrogance of city planners and some councilors is disturbing,” said one man.
The public hearing was so packed, many were forced to watch from overflow rooms. Opponents asked that the Planning Commission start from scratch and consult with neighborhoods.
“Have there been any real studies done?” said a woman. “With thousands of Minneapolis tax payers opposing this plan, why are we being ignored?”
“We basically have a top down plan that’s coming from the planning department,” said another resident. “That’s not coming from the neighborhoods that basically, you didn’t even let people know.”
While opponents dominated much of the hearing, there was also plenty of support.
“We’re a growing city,” said Adam Wisoeal, who lives in the Lyndale neighborhood. “People want to live here for a lot of reasons and I think there’s an obligation to accommodate that by creating an opportunity for more housing to be built.”
The next public hearing will be Wednesday Nov. 14. The City Council will vote on the plan in mid-December. It would then move on to the Metropolitan Council for a vote.