UPDATED: Linden Corner Foes Eye Council Seats

Calling for candidates who "support the existing zoning laws," several members of a Linden Hills residents' group opposed to the Linden Corner development and others concerned about the development have launched an attempt to win seats on the neighborhood council.

The group, called Linden Hills Residents For Responsible Development, had earlier created the NoLindenCorner.com website, and has been the main driving force in organizing opposition to the development. The group gathered more than 1,300 resident signatures in the 7,000-person neighborhood on a petition opposing the development. 

The group is has identified a slate of seven candidates who oppose the development to supporters, including prominent members Lori Dockendorf and Christopher Maddox. Maddox, who serves as a spokesperson for the group, says the group is not strictly endorsing the seven. 

All candidate platforms can be seen on the Linden Hills Neighborhood Council (LHiNC) website. Absentee voting began Oct. 8 and will continue until Thursday, Oct. 13, when a general vote is set for the council's annual meeting.

Will Election Turn On One Issue?

In an announcement to supporters, the group urged residents to support candidates who would continue to oppose Linden Corner and similar developments.

"The opinion of the LHiNC Board carries considerable weight when the City of Minneapolis considers planning applications," reads an email from the group to supporters. "It is critical to have a board that supports our current zoning laws, both now and in the future!"

In an email to Patch, the LHiNC Board's current Chair, Lesly Lydell, pointed out that the Linden Corner project was proceeding according to current zoning law.

"All board candidates and members uphold the zoning code," she wrote. "The detail is that the code allows for the very type of CUP (conditional use permit) and variance Mark Dwyer and his group are planning to apply for."

Lydell said the LHiNC Board's current approach of cataloguing Linden Hills residents' opinions on the project would carry the most weight at the city level. At some LHiNC meetings, the approach has met with frustration from residents.

"Some people prefer an emphatic more basic message—on both sides of the issue," Lydell wrote. "For folks on the Planning Commission and City Council, the rationale against the development will need to include more specific information and address clearly articulated points on which they can take action, once the final plan details are revealed."

"I applaud (the approach) 100 percent," said Maddox, the Linden Corner opponent.

Contested Election A Good Sign?

Matt Perry, a long-time observer of Minneapolis neighborhood politics and moderator of the popular local E-Democracy forum, said that this kind of insurgency was a good sign.

"While this is not something that happens all the time, I'm sure it is not as uncommon as it first might seem," Perry said in an email to Patch. "This is one of the things I find is a great characteristic of neighborhood organizations. Their governing bodies can and do change in reaction to the priorities of neighborhood community members. This is a good thing and the sign of a healthy and engaged community."

The Linden Corner project is seeking a conditional use permit to accommodate the design's proposed five-story height, at the corner of 43rd Street and Upton Avenue. The city Planning Commission will likely vote on the issue on Dec. 12, following a public hearing for residents to express their opinions on the development.

Updated 11:15 a.m. 10/12/11: This story was updated to include comments from LHiNC Board Chair Lesly Lydell and Linden Corner opponent Christopher Maddox.

See Patch's Previous Coverage of Linden Corner