Last December I wrote about Minneapolis’s NIMBY city ordinance declaring that skateboard ramps are too noisy, too busy, too ugly, too dangerous, too annoying, and make neighbors feel “insecure.”
Well, not any more!
Adam Seegar dropped a comment on my post alerting me to Minneapolis Ordinance 2023-018 (pdf), which was passed unanimously by the city council. It deletes all the silliness and replaces it with this:
Notwithstanding any other section of this Code, skateboard ramps or similar structures used for skateboarding or related purposes are prohibited in residentially zoned areas, except for non-permanent, movable ramps four (4) feet in height or less which are otherwise used in a lawful manner.
Title 12, Minneapolis Code of Ordinances § 244.1620
In short, skateboard structures are now allowed as long as they are 4 feet high or less and you can move them. So definitely small quarter pipes, grind boxes, and manual pads. I think you could even build a mini ramp in sections designed to be separated and moved if necessary. These plans might come in handy.
The bill’s author, Ward 9 council member Jason Chavez, announced the new ordinance on Twitter:
In an email Jason said someone sent him my original blog post, and then he talked through the language with one of his constituents and council member Elliott Payne to add the exception and “remove the terrible language.” I hope to talk with him, soon, and I’ll update this post if I do.
1 Comment
That’s impressive evidence of effectiveness. Well done!