A little more than a year ago, I was inspired to create what has been called “the definitive three-part [film] series about the people and culture of Saint Paul.” But the deep concerns about car storage that I explored in that series aren’t unique to Saint Paul. During the most recent meeting of the Minneapolis City Planning Commission, two pretty unremarkable development projects drew some remarkable concerns about parking. As a result, an unlikely YIMBY hero named Sharon was born.
Lucky for me, noted local documentary filmmaker, our public feedback process is designed to draw out a city’s most colorful characters. Hardly anyone ever spends a few hours at City Hall during the work day to say something boring like, “I’m not all that stressed about parking, go ahead and build that single story-retail building in my neighborhood!”
Both projects discussed in these videos were approved. In a few years everyone will forget the predictions of doom. Things will turn out just fine. And fortunately for fans of Channel 14, this will cause not one person to have second thoughts about spending a few hours at City Hall to testify against the next thing.