Join us on Zoom on September 8th at 6pm for our neighborhood monthly meeting. *No August Meeting*
See our June meeting minutes here: WCNC June 2020 Minutes
See MPCA meeting minutes here: WCNC April 2020 Minutes
Read our COVID-19 Response Fund Notice (posted 4/1/2020).
In midst of the COVID-19 Outbreak, please reference the Minnesota Department of Health and/or the Center for Disease Control and Prevention for more information.
Our annual public neighborhood meeting typically held in May will be postponed with a planned date of the second Tuesday in October. We are reviewing this as the time gets closer whether it will be an in-person meeting or via Zoom.
Attached please see the approved Land Use Application to the City Planning Commission for Calhoun Towers (soon to be known as West Lake Quarter), where you can find the aerial photos. Click here: Land Use Application
Please read the attached letter in support of a neighborhood park. Visit www.minneapolisparks.org/sw to learn more about the park project, and see our letter we submitted here: Neighborhood Park Letter
West Calhoun Neighborhood Council (WCNC) is a neighborhood organization that represents the interests of our part of Minneapolis to help maintain a livable and lovable community. We work with residents, businesses and others, to stay informed and involved around all aspects that affect where we live and work.
West Calhoun Neighborhood
We represent the residents and organizations that reside within these boundaries. Anyone in our neighborhood is considered a “member” automatically is invited to participate at meetings, join committees, attend events, and get involved!
Neighborhood Survey/Neighborhood Name
Our spring 2019 newsletter, which was mailed to all neighborhood residential addresses, included a survey about neighborhood concerns, including a question about whether we should request that City Council change the name of our neighborhood in recognition of the change in the name of Lake Calhoun to Bde Maka Ska. At the time of the survey, the legality of the name change was being contested in the courts but on May 13, 2020 the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that the Department of Natural Resources Commissioner did in fact have the authority to make the name change. In response to our survey and subsequent comments received at public meeting and by mail, we have received over 70 responses with about half supporting a name change to either West Lake (after the light rail station that is now in a preliminary construction stage in our neighborhood) or to West Maka Ska.
The survey asked about many other issues of concern to the neighborhood besides the question of a name change. Here is a summary of the responses:
There were several trends regarding what people felt was the most important issue in the neighborhood. The most common answers fell into 4 categories, traffic, greenspace, parking and density. Those who identified as homeowners had concerns that seemed to skew more heavily toward the increasing density of the neighborhood, the increased traffic this density might bring, preserving greenspace and overall slowing down changes to the neighborhood. Renters most important concerns were parking, affordability, pedestrian safety and increased transit options.
When it came to the most important safety issue, across the board the number one response was traffic safety. People seem to feel very unsafe walking and biking in this area.
The most common intersections that people felt were the most unsafe were Lake and Excelsior, Lake and Market Plaza, Excelsior and 32nd, and Lake & West Calhoun Parkway (which is actually in the CIDNA neighborhood).
Of renters who responded to the question, “What is the biggest renter issue” the answers generally fell into two categories, prices and parking. Renters feel their cost of living is too high and that there is not adequate parking.
Of the events that people want to see in West Calhoun, the most common answers were wine tastings, happy hours, movie nights, bbqs and community trash clean-ups around the greenspaces.
In regards to green space improvements, many neighbors want to see that the remaining greenspace in the neighborhood is preserved and taken care of, with suggestions of invasive species removal and tree planting included in some answers. Some respondents also wanted more benches in some areas and better drainage of the greenspace.
Finally, when asked “Are you aware of the Neighborhood 2040 plan?” There were 51 “Yes”, 4 “No” and 5 “Unsure/Maybe”. 5 people chose not to respond.
Park Board Changes all Park Roads Containing the name Calhoun
At their meeting of August 21, 2019 the Park Board Board of Commissioners approved the renaming of two streets in our neighborhood:
- Calhoun Boulevard West to Bde Maka Ska Boulevard West
- West Lake Calhoun Parkway to West Bde Maka Ska Parkway
The changes are now in effect.
Conservation District Proposed
Twenty-six homeowners in a 3.2 acre section of the neighborhood along Ivy Lane, Zenith Avenue and West 32nd Street have proposed that that their homes be designated a Conservation District. The purpose of the designation would be to preserve an island of historically and architecturally significant homes in a sea of increasing residential density in the vicinity of the planned West Lake light rail station. At its August 6th meeting your neighborhood council voted to go on record in support of the designation. The City’s Heritage Preservation Commission voted 5-3 in favor of initiating the process of creating the district at its September 17th meeting.