I am 18 weeks into my new role as your Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (Park Board) commissioner and I am honored to serve in this capacity! District 4 is a large area—encompassing 42 neighborhood and regional parks within 13 neighborhoods, each with varying needs and priorities. These first months in office I have been attending community meetings and hearing from neighborhood leadership about their specific park priorities as we look to the next four years. I am excited for this opportunity to work together at the local level in practical ways that will benefit our great park system.
I will also be an advocate for thoughtfulness and collaboration in policy decisions at the board level. My “true north” and guiding principles in decision-making are: (1) listen and understand all perspectives; (2) is it consistent with our core mission at the Park Board; (3) is it balanced, pragmatic and collaborative; (4) will it serve the greater good; (5) make the optimal decision; and (6) effectively communicate that decision. Will we always agree on every park policy decision that is made during my term? Probably not. Will you always know I will be thoughtful around this process and be able to articulate my decisions? Absolutely.
I would briefly like to give some park updates specific to the East Isles, CIDNA, Kenwood and Lowry Hill neighborhoods. First, thank you all for the tremendous public engagement around the Cedar-Isles Master Plan. Your early response and discussion of ideas has benefited the process to date and will strengthen the final plan. The preferred plan is being released in June and there will be additional feedback taken at that time.
Secondly, the Met Council Environmental Services sewer replacement work on Humboldt will reach the Mall in June and then head west to East Lake of the Isles Parkway, most likely in 2023 (originally announced for 2022). The new line will be a permanent easement on Park Board property and may allow the Park Board to implement parts of the Mall’s master plan sooner than planned.
The refectory rebuild at Bde Maka Ska was formally approved by the full board on May 4 and construction begins this summer, finishing in 2023.
Thomas Lowry Park’s new paver work is underway this spring and should be completed within a month or so.
Lastly, I have included some detour traffic maps (two iterations of bike/ ped crossings that will shift as the work progresses) related to the long term closure of Cedar Lake Parkway during construction of the Southwest Light Rail (SWLRT). The route of construction traffic will probably be Sunset Boulevard. However, it is unclear yet if SWLRT will need to use a section of the Park Board’s parkway near South Beach and if there will be any compensation for reduced access.
I am hearing resident interest in working with the Met Council to understand their plan for opening the Cedar Lake Trail (and Kenilworth). Three to four years of closure and detours to city streets has been difficult for one of our system’s most-used commuter/ distance trails and we need to understand what the next five years looks like.
If you would like to be added to my email list to hear about broader policy decisions and park updates, please reach out to me at eshaffer@minneapolisparks.org. If you would like to hear about what’s happening in District 4 parks and events, please follow me on Facebook at Elizabeth Shaffer for Parks.
Thank you again for your support of my 2021 campaign (62% of the vote is humbling!) and your engagement in our parks. I look forward to walking this journey with you.
