Lawmaker Wants Developers to Pay For New Mpls. Parks

A Minneapolis lawmaker wants new parks and he would like developers to pay for them.

State Representative, Frank Hornstein, (DFL) Minneapolis, says there are rapidly developing neighborhoods in some parts of the city and he would like to see them get new neighborhood parks. Hornstein says his bill would impose a $1,500 fee, per unit, on developers and that money would go toward building new parks within a six-block radius of the development.

But, State Representative, Peggy Scott, (R) Andover, attached an amendment to the bill that would not allow construction of a new park within 1,500 feet of a residence where a level 3 sex offender lives. Representative Scott says she also doesn't want developers to have to pay a fee for new construction. 

The bill, along with the amendment, passed the House and is now in the Senate awaiting a committee hearing.

Representative Hornstein says the bill would raise about $5.9 million per year.

Minneapolis has about 200 parks and also has the state's highest percentage of registered sex offenders in the city limits.

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