The Minneapolis City Council reversed course Friday and put a halt to a project that nearly eked past a development moratorium in Linden Hills.
Just last week, the city's zoning and planning committee voted 4-2 to grant a 60-unit residential on 45th and France Avenue a waiver to the neighborhood's moratorium on large-scale developments. But today, the full Council voted 9-4 to deny the waiver.
The argument Friday centered on whether the project in question, France Ave. Apartments, falls under the moratorium. Developers had submitted a proposal before the moratorium, but then resubmitted a new version when it was denied by the planning commission.
"We are not changing the rules. We are not switching horses mid-stream," said Council Member Betsy Hodges, who represents Linden Hills. "The rules were in place when it started. The applicant was aware that those rules were in place when they started."
The Linden Hills neighborhood voted two weeks ago to recommend denying the waiver.
Friday's vote means the developers will have to wait until next March to resubmit their plans. Some believe the moratorium could be extended, however.
Council Member Gary Schiff, who advocated for the waiver, said the moratorium was being used "to stop a specific development. I think that's dirty."
"It's a terrible way for the City of Minneapolis to treat investors who come along [and] play by the rules," Schiff said.
