A resolution to return The Mall’s northwest section to roadway instead of a planned green space after sewer construction passed the Park & Recreation Board Wednesday night.

The resolution, brought forward by Commissioner Billy Menz, states “the Fire Marshal’s review of the long-range plan did not support the removal of park roads within The Mall Park, rendering aspects of the long-range plan infeasible.”

The board voted down a similar resolution in March asking to pause construction along The Mall. Menz voted against that resolution.

A group of East Isles residents has been voicing concern since last year about an approved long-range plan for The Mall that includes the addition of green space. The added green space would remove two own-way blocks of roadway. An unrelated sewer construction project this year gave the board an opportunity to develop The Mall’s plan sooner than anticipated.

In the Southwest Service Area Master Plan, two blocks of The Mall’s top-end streets are planned to be removed, with the bottom streets remaining as is. Image courtesy of Google Maps, visual design by Southwest Voices.

Due to East Isles residents' concerns about the long-range plan’s impact on parking and public safety, the Park & Recreation Board asked for a parking and fire safety study to be completed last year. The parking study found parking volumes are highest on The Mall overnight, when parking is not permitted.

The fire safety study, done in conjunction with Minneapolis Fire Chief Bryan Tyner, reported that The Mall’s roadways are not up to code. The Mall’s street driving width is 12 feet with an 8-foot parking lane but for a street to be up to code, the driving area needs to be 20 feet wide.

“It also seems Chief Tyner would prefer continuous movements along the south road, contrary to direction provided through the (Technical Advisory Committee) process,” the report reads. The long-range planning process in 2020 invited members from the Fire Department to weigh in through the Technical Advisory Committee.

“To meet that report's goals, you would have to remove the entirety of parking on The Mall if you're getting 20 feet of clear space,” Peter Schmitt a resident who attended the initial meetings about The Mall's long-range plan, said at Wednesday’s meeting. “It is fiscally irresponsible to put a road back in a way that does not comply with the thing that this resolution is trying to address.”

Through the Park & Recreation board, a Community Advisory Committee worked with residents like Schmitt and presented long-range plans for the entire Minneapolis Park system, including The Mall after meeting 16 times over 18 months. The plans were approved by the Park & Recreation Board in 2020. Schmitt testified in opposition to Menz’s resolution.

“There’s no expectation that the City runs around and rebuilds all the roadways to conform to the fire code but we certainly shouldn't be making things worse if we don't have to,” President Cathy Abene said in support of Menz’s resolution.

Former Park & Recreation Board member Chris Meyer said The Mall’s long-range plan was meant to help Minneapolis reach its climate action goals.

“When I was on the Park Board this was one of the few small victories that we had to try to reach the city's (vehicle miles traveled) goals,” Meyers said. “The state as a whole has a goal of reducing vehicle miles traveled by 20 percent. In order for us to reach those statewide goals Minneapolis has to step up and go a lot further than that. Transportation is our biggest source of carbon pollution in Minnesota.”

About an equal number of people for and against the resolution testified at the meeting.

Commissioners Tom Olsen, Meg Forney, and Becky Alper voted against Menz’s resolution. President Cathy Abene, Vice President Steffanie Musich, and Commissioners Billy Menz, Becka Thompson, Charles Rucker, and Elizabeth Shaffer voted for the resolution.

The Mall’s long-range plan can still be funded and put into action in the future. The resolution requires the board to reengage the community about The Mall’s long-range plan.