St. Paul Recorder

MINNEAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL RESCINDS BUILDING PERMIT

The Minneapolis city council July 29, unanimously rescinded a building permit granted June 24. to allow the construction of a gas service station at the north-east corner of 46th St. and Fourth Av. S.

Council action followed a strong protest by citizens in the vicinity of the proposed station who labeled the project a safety hazard to children in the area. "a danger to the rest home across the street and financial loss to homeowners in the area."

Decision to rescind the action was reached at a city council caucus held July 28, where Alderman Earl Johnson of the 11th ward, in whose ward the station was to be built, urged the rescinding because of neighborhood protest.

Johnson has been under fire because residents adjacent to the corner were not notified of the roads and bridges meeting at which the permit was approved for council action.

At Friday's council meeting he used a blackboard to diagram the location and the surrounding section including Field School and the Angelus Rest Home. Johnson claimed letters notifying the immediate residents had been sent to the wrong persons.

He also stated his failure to attend the Monday, July 25, meeting of the roads and bridges committee was due to two reasons. One was that he was in court (he's an attorney) and the other was that some protestants over the matter had suggested he not attend.

After his explanation Johnson moved that the council rescind its action of June 24, granting a permit. His motion was seconded by Alderman Byron Nelson, Twelfth Ward, and Alderman H. P. Christensen of the Sixth Ward.

Christensen said he hoped the council action would not set a precedent. Alderman George Johnson of the Eighth Ward reported "We are rescinding some action almost every meeting. There are no perfect situations and when we make a mistake our duty is to rescind prior actions regardless of so-called precedents."

The motion to rescind passed without a dissenting vote.

In the audience in the council chambers were some of the residents who participated in the neighborhood activity which worked to secure reversal of the council's original approval of the service station.

As reported in the July 22 and 29th editions of this paper, citizens of the area did not realize a permit had been issued to allow the gas station to be constructed

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Minneapolis City Council Rescinds Building Permit
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Until Mrs. John Warder, 4556 Fifth Av. S. and Mrs. Cartrelle Cooper, 4548 Fifth Av S., whose homes are directly back of the three lots which were to be used for the station, observed surveyors working on the site Mrs. Warder notified her husband.

Mr. Warder had been assured by the ward alderman, Earl Johnson in a letter received in April that no permit would be granted for a service station unless the residents contiguous to the lots approved.

Warder immediately called Alderman Johnson who said a permit had been granted, explaining that no residents whom he had notified of a hearing on the matter had appeared to protest the permit.

Warder called a meeting and a check of persons affected revealed that none had received notice of the roads and bridges committee meeting at which the permit was approved.

Warder and others organized a meeting of residents, petitions were circulated, the Eugene Field School PTA was alerted, and a request was made for a roads and bridges rehearing on the matter.

Judge L. Howard Bennett was retained to represent the neighborhood at the rehearing.

At this hearing held July 25, and reported in the July issue of this newspaper the committee agreed to refer the matter to July 28, at a joint caucus of the council.

At the same meeting petitions opposing the service station containing signatures of 259 residents of the area were presented to his committee by Cartrelle Cooper.

Residents in the area are elated at the victory this week. Several called this newspaper to praise its editorial attack on the proposed station in its July 22 issue and the news coverage of the matter in both the July 22 and July 29 editions.