Whereas, The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) was created by the Minnesota Legislature in April 1883 and has the authority to manage and operate park lands;
Whereas, On August 21, 2013, the MPRB Board of Commissioners passed Resolution 2013-282 stating a position on the preliminary engineering options for the proposed Southwest Light Rail Transitway (LRT) through the Kenilworth corridor;
Whereas, The resolution stated support for relocating freight rail, support for leaving freight rail in the corridor and placing LRT in a deep tunnel, and opposition to keeping freight rail in the corridor, placing LRT in shallow tunnels and daylighting the LRT trains over the Kenilworth Channel;
Whereas, Section 4(f)(1) of the Federal Transportation Act requires a finding of no feasible or prudent alternatives to the use of parks and historic sites before the Secretary of Transportation (Secretary) can approve the use of such property for transportation purposes and the attendant expenditure of federal transportation funds;
Whereas, Section 4(f)(2) of the Federal Transportation Act imposes a duty on the Secretary to utilize all possible planning at the earliest stages to minimize harms to parks and historic sites before the Secretary can approve a route;
Whereas, The Board asserts that there may be a prudent alternative within the shallow tunnel option that has not been reasonably studied that would dive the tunnel under the Kenilworth Channel;
Whereas, The Board asserts that this option must be reasonably studied to meet the spirit of the Federal Transportation Act and to evaluate feasible and prudent project alternatives;
Whereas, The Board reaffirms its earlier position in Resolution 2013-282; and
Whereas, This resolution is supported by the MPRB 2007-2020 Comprehensive Plan, which envisions “Dynamic parks that shape city character and meet diverse community needs;”
RESOLVED, That the Board of Commissioners urge the Southwest Light Rail Transitway Project Office to conduct a detailed engineering feasibility study and cost comparison of tunneling under the Kenilworth Channel as part of the shallow tunnel option; and
RESOLVED, That the President of the Board and Secretary to the Board are authorized to take all necessary administrative actions to implement this resolution.