One of the things that caught my attention this week was the City Council’s eagerness to interfere in St. Louis County’s business. Instead the Council heeded the request of a small number of preservationists to prevent the old Jail from becoming a parking ramp ignoring the County Board’s wishes. The Council cares deeply about municipal history.
I couldn’t help but wonder, however, where all the City Council angst about encroaching on the turf of another local government disappeared to? The jail has long been a thorn in the side of the County which replaced it with a modern facility up on Haines Road. But when other Duluthians requested some intervention to slow down the School District’s annihilation of old schools leaving a swath of devastated neighborhoods they got nada. The Councilors were adamant that it would be improper to exercise their authority over City right of ways and zoning codes to impede the Red Plan.
This makes me question all the anti-Red Plan rhetoric spouted by certain City Councilors.
