Minneapolis Park Watch

REQUEST TO TERMINATE CROWN HYDRO'S LICENSE

The following letter is from Douglas Verdier, a private citizen, regarding Crown Hydro. According to Mr. Verdier, Crown has not provided a detailed map of the new proposed project area, and Crown’s recent submittal contains contradictory information about whether or not the project is subject to Park Board easements. He also recounts the tunnel collapse of 1869 in the area and urges FERC to terminate Crown’s license. The letter is posted on the FERC website.

Posted by Arlene Fried on Sun, 04/15/2012 - 12:18am. | Permalink | Login to post comments | Read more

COMMENT ON CROWN HYDRO FILING SUBMITTED IN FERC P-11175-024 by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, March 15, 2012

The following link is from FERC showing the Park Board's easements in the park area where Crown is proposing its facility.

Begin forwarded message:

From: "'FERC eSubscription'" Date: March 15, 2012 11:31:27 AM CDT

Posted by Arlene Fried on Sun, 04/15/2012 - 12:01am. | Permalink | Login to post comments | Read more

CROWN HYDRO'S MARCH 12, 2012 LETTER TO FERC

On March 12, attorneys from the law offices of GKRSE submitted on Crown Hydro's behalf the following letter to FERC:

Ms. Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

888 First Street, NE

Washington, D.C. 20426

Posted by Arlene Fried on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 7:14pm. | Permalink | Login to post comments | Read more

FERC LETTER TO CROWN HYDRO  

On February 13, 2012 FERC sent a three page letter to Crown Hydro requesting that Crown Hydro, LLC provide its response within 30 days relating to the project development progress for the Crown Mill Hydroelctric Project under P-11175 provided by Crown Hydro in a letter dated May 25, 2011.  The essence of the FERC letter is that Crown Hydro needs to demonstrate that no MPRB lands would be affected or included in the new proposed plan.

Posted by Arlene Fried on Wed, 02/15/2012 - 12:30am. | Permalink | Login to post comments | Read more

REQUEST TO TERMINATE CROWN HYDRO'S LICENSE

The following letter dated February 3, 2012 was submitted to FERC by Friends of the Riverfront:

Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

888 First Street, NE

Washington, D.C. 20426

February 3, 2012

Re: Comments - Crown Hydro, P 11175-024

Dear Ms. Bose:

Posted by Arlene Fried on Wed, 02/08/2012 - 9:17pm. | Permalink | Login to post comments | Read more

CROWN HYDRO'S TO-DO LIST

The following item by David Fehlan was posted on the Issues List on January 26, 2012 and reprinted here with permission:

Posted by Arlene Fried on Wed, 02/08/2012 - 9:12pm. | Permalink | Login to post comments | Read more

CROWN HYDRO'S LATEST EFFORT

On January 20, 2012 attorneys for Crown Hydro submitted another "progress report" to FERC. Crown Hydro is now attempting to work with the Army Corps of Engineers to relocate its proposed hydro power plant so that it can bypass the MPRB and local control. Park Watch, however, has heard that this proposal involves the tail races and, if so, there could be no construction without Park Board approval.

To access the Crown Hydro letter to FERC, click on the following link provided by David Tinjum of the Mill City Times: http://www.box.com/s/eug43u8il7kyuj8pjd95

The following is a link to the Mill City Times article: http://millcitytimes.com/minneapolis-riverfront-news/crown-hydro-update....

Arlene Fried

Co-founder of Park Watch

Posted by Arlene Fried on Tue, 02/07/2012 - 12:45am. | Permalink | Login to post comments | Read more

The following article by Nick Halter (updated January 25, 2012) was published in the Downtown Journal.

CROWN HYDRO TAKES NEW APPROACH TO ST. ANTHONY PROJECT

Posted by Arlene Fried on Fri, 01/27/2012 - 5:49pm. | Permalink | Login to post comments | Read more

AUGUST 2011 LETTER TO FERC

The following letter was written to FERC by Sara Durhman, a resident of RiverWest Condominiums:

August 22, 2011

Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

888 First Street, NE

Washington, O.C. 20426

Dear Ms. Bose,

Posted by Arlene Fried on Fri, 10/07/2011 - 6:17pm. | Permalink | Login to post comments | Read more

September 2, 2011

Ms. Kimberly D. Bose

Secretary

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 888 First Street NE

Washington, DC 20426

Re: Crown Hydro LLC, Crown Mill Hydroelectric Project

FERC Project No. 11175

Dear Secretary Bose:

Posted by Arlene Fried on Thu, 09/22/2011 - 12:03am. | Permalink | Login to post comments | Read more

The following item, by Nick Halter, was published in the September 5, 2011 issue of the Southwest Journal. A week later, the Park Board's legal counsel wrote a letter to FERC to point out the "misleading and inaccurate" information contained in the letter. That letter is also posted here on Park Watch.

CROWN HYDRO, FACING LICENSE TERMINATION, SAYS PROJECT IS STILL POSSIBLE

Posted by Arlene Fried on Wed, 09/21/2011 - 11:58pm. | Permalink | Login to post comments | Read more

Douglas L.Verdier

401 S. 1st St., #222

Minneapolis, MN 55401

August 26, 2011

Kimberly Bose, Secretary

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

888 First Street NE

Washington, D.C. 20426

SUBJECT: Crown Mill Hydroelectric Project, Project No. 11175-024-Minnesota

REFERENCES:

Posted by Arlene Fried on Tue, 09/06/2011 - 10:38pm. | Permalink | Login to post comments | Read more

The following letter from Friends of the Riverfront was submitted to FERC on July 20, 2011:

Friends of the Riverfront
P.O. Box 580545, Minneapolis, MN 55458-0545
Tel: 612.379.2662 ednab@mac.com

Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

888 First Street, NE
Washington, D.C. 20426
July 20, 2011

Re: Crown Hydro, P 11175-024

Dear Ms. Bose:

Posted by Arlene Fried on Fri, 07/22/2011 - 12:15pm. | Permalink | Login to post comments | Read more

The following article by David Tinjum was published at www.MillCityTimes.com on July 12, 2011:

Crown Hydro Turning to Class Warfare? Or is the Downtown Riverfront Part of The Bizzaro World?

Share Article

From Finance & Commerce (article behind a paywall):

Posted by Arlene Fried on Sun, 07/17/2011 - 5:32pm. | Permalink | Login to post comments | Read more

MPRB Letter to FERC Re Crown Hydro

The following MPRB letter written by MPRB Board President John Erwin regarding Crown Hydro was submitted to FERC on June 30, 2011:

June 30, 2011

Ms. Kimberly Bose Secretary Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 888 First Street, NE Washington, D.C. 20426

Re: Crown Hydro, LLC Crown Hydro Project, FERC Project NO. 11175‐024

Posted by Arlene Fried on Sun, 07/03/2011 - 8:11pm. | Permalink | Login to post comments | Read more

LETTER TO FERC RE ST. ANTHONY FALLS

The following letter dated June 14, 2011 regarding St. Anthony Falls was submitted to FERC by Tom Dimond, a resident of St. Paul:

June 14, 2011

Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 First Street NE
Washington, DC 20426

Posted by Arlene Fried on Fri, 06/17/2011 - 4:51pm. | Permalink | Login to post comments | Read more

At the May 18 Park Board meeting, the Park Board voted not to execute the revised Crown Hydro Project Letter of Intent that Crown Hydro had just told the Board it was rejecting. Since that date, representatives of Crown Hydro have been using the media to voice complaints about the Park Board's revisions of the Letter of Intent.

Posted by Arlene Fried on Mon, 06/06/2011 - 8:53pm. | Permalink | Login to post comments | Read more

FERC LETTER TO CROWN HYDRO

Here is the letter that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) sent to Crown Hydro on May 25, 2011 informing Crown Hydro that FERC staff consider the "Crown Mill Hydro Project to be abandoned."

http://www.mediafire.com/?wd664s5ws47ts7f

Posted by Arlene Fried on Fri, 06/03/2011 - 1:51am. | Permalink | Login to post comments

FERC PULLS THE PLUG ON CROWN HYDRO

Park Watch has just learned that in a letter dated May 25, 2011, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) informed Crown Mill Hydro President Tom Griffin that FERC staff consider the "Crown Mill Hydro Project to be abandoned."

Posted by Arlene Fried on Fri, 05/27/2011 - 10:49pm. | Permalink | Login to post comments | Read more

PARK BOARD VOTES TO NOT EXECUTE CROWN HYDRO'S LOI

Posted by Arlene Fried on Thu, 05/19/2011 - 10:52pm. | Permalink | Login to post comments | Read more