Councilwoman Wants to Shed Light on Other Side of Freight Issue

Anne Mavity said it took her a little while to reach her stance on the controversial freight rail issue facing St. Louis Park.

Mavity, who is in her first year on the City Council, said she tends to be a policy analyst, so naturally she wanted to take in all the details she could. However, in recent weeks, Mavity has crystallized her stance and made it known publicly—she supports the idea of rerouting freight traffic to the Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern (MN&S) tracks that run past in order to clear a path for a proposed regional light rail line, provided the shifting of freight is done with plenty of safety measures tacked on.

This position sets Mavity apart from her colleagues—earlier this month, the council that opposes the reroute with a 6-1 vote—and has opened her up to criticism from grassroots group Safety in the Park. But Mavity said she is comfortable with her position, adding that she is speaking up for constituents on the “other side of the issue.”

That includes people like Matt Hoenck. Hoenck lives in St. Louis Park and said he regularly bikes to work in Northeast Minneapolis. Currently, that is pretty much a straight shot, as he makes his way downtown via the Kenilworth Corridor bike trail.

However, Hoenck’s favorite trail could be lost if those opposing the reroute get their way. Keeping freight off the MN&S line would also mean keeping freight in the Kenilworth Corridor. But with the light rail line slated to use the same corridor, something would likely have to get squeezed out, and that something figures to be the trail.

“It’s a beautiful trail and a vital connection,” Hoenck said. “I can only imagine how the countless people who bike to work along that corridor—not to mention those that enjoy it over the weekends—will react to the news that the city of St. Louis Park thinks that's an acceptable outcome.”

Fritz Vandover also said he generally supports the idea of rerouting the trains onto the MN&S tracks, but like Mavity, he said he would want to see plenty of mitigation come the city’s way.

The St. Louis Park resident, who lives by rail tracks near Excelsior Boulevard, said he’s a big proponent of the proposed light rail line and would like to see it come to the area. Vandover said if light rail can’t co-exist with the freight rail that’s already in the Kenilworth Corridor, then he would support moving the freight rail if it is done right. He added that he’s glad Mavity is voicing some of his beliefs in front of the City Council and is doing so in what Vandover feels is a responsible way.

“She’s not rah-rah for this,” he said. “She wants to make sure the subtleties of the issue are raised.”

Mavity said she would continue to advocate for people like Hoenck and Vandover, even if she’s in the minority on council. The councilwoman also said she could withstand any criticism that comes her way from groups like Safety in the Park.

“It’s not about my discomfort, or my concerns about being yelled at,” Mavity said.

Safety in the Park co-chair Jami LaPray said she’s met with Mavity several times, but said from her perspective, the meetings have been professional and respectful, despite the obvious disagreement between the two sides. LaPray also said she doesn’t feel that Safety in the Park has threatened or pressured people who don’t necessarily share the advocacy group’s goals, like Hoenck and Vandover.

“We’re doing what we need to do, as we see it, to protect our families,” LaPray said of Safety in the Park’s activism. “We’re just people like anyone else in St. Louis Park.”

Mavity said she respects that and applauds Safety in the Park for being a “model” of community organizing. But at the same time, the councilwoman said it is important to understand that this issue has more than one side, even if it’s been portrayed as if St. Louis Park is unanimously opposed to the reroute.

“My job is to do exactly what I’m doing,” Mavity added. “The hallmark of democracy is robust discussion and lots of ideas.”