Dockless bikes, 2040 Comprehensive Plan, and more

Memorial Day greetings! I’m headed over to Wolfe Park today to honor local veterans at the American Legion Post 282’s annual event. 11 am, see you there?  
 
Speaking of the American Legion: After moving from their old location to make way for The Elmwood, a new mixed-use development on W. 36th St., American Legion SLP Post 282 has reopened in their new space at 6509 Walker St., in the historic Walker-Lake district. Open for lunch and dinner, all are welcome!  
 
Dockless bike share system: Recently, neighboring cities Edina, Golden Valley and Minneapolis signed agreements to provide dockless bikesharing in their communities beginning this summer. At tomorrow's study session, SLP City Council members will discuss whether to pursue our own agreement to provide this service soon, or wait to learn from other communities before making a decision. Do you have thoughts on dockless bike share systems? Please email me if so.
 
SLP Nest: Also this week, City Council members will get an update from youth and adults working to establish the Nest, a youth-oriented coffee shop/gathering space envisioned as a safe, inclusive place for teens in our community. Nest planners are seeking $25,000 in matching funds from the City to help fund staffing and programming at the space, which will open in September 2018. More info on SLP Nest here. 
 
Old Holiday Station site: Thanks to all who took time to email me about future development on the parcel of land at the northeast corner of Minnetonka Blvd. & Hwy 100. Increased traffic on Vernon Avenue was a top concern expressed by those who got in touch. Development of this parcel is not imminent, and there will be many more opportunities for input. Stay tuned!
 
Common Sound Music Festival: Beth El Synagogue & Benilde-St. Margaret’s School are partnering to present a music festival right here in Ward 1! As many as 1,500 concertgoers are expected to attend the festival, which will feature the Gin Blossoms, Big Wu and others. The event will take place on Father’s Day, Sunday, June 17, from 4-9 pm in the Beth El Synagogue parking lot, 5525 Barry St. W. Tickets & info here.  
 
Teardowns/new home construction in SLP: St. Louis Park is a great place to live, and it’s important that we continue to provide housing options to meet the needs of current and would-be residents, including growing families. At the same time, I’m hearing concern from Ward 1 residents about new home construction potentially disrupting the continuity of existing neighborhoods. At our July 9 study session, City Council members will discuss the possibility of establishing some design guidelines for new home construction, which other cities have done. Do you have thoughts on this topic? Please share them here. 
 
2040 Comprehensive Plan: Every ten years, communities in the seven-county metro area are required to update their comprehensive plans, which guide future development of land and public infrastructure and are designed to ensure a safe, well-designed and sustainable environment. This process is happening now and community input is important. If you haven’t already, please take a few minutes to complete a short survey about St. Louis Park’s updated plan: 
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2040-comp-plan-survey. An interactive map at the end of the survey allows you to comment on proposed future land use changes. 
 
June meetup: I’ve been hosting monthly meetups for Ward 1 residents and others to discuss topics related to city council business and community life. Meetups take place the first Sunday of every month from 3-4:30 pm at the Birchwood Park warming house, 2700 Zarthan Ave. S. The topic for June 3 will be SLP’s Climate Action Plan. After the June meeting, we’ll take a summer break and resume meetups in September. 
 
Thanks for reading & please reach out to me any time with your ideas and concerns.