In St. Paul’s North End, a group of neighbors who live off Maryland Avenue have pulled off a political coup of sorts, ousting longtime community volunteers from the leadership of a neighborhood planning board.

Some call it a clash over age, outlook and “new urbanism” — differing takes on pedestrian-friendly planning — but others say the fault lines are better summed up more simply: bike lanes.

As treasurer of the North End’s District 6 Planning Council, Tin Cup’s bar and restaurant owner Gidget Bailey thought she and other members of the organization’s executive committee were in key positions to advocate against Ramsey County installing bicycle lanes on Rice Street and reducing four traffic lanes to three in particular segments.

Then came Monday.

With a phone call, fellow board member Richard Holst informed her that he and his friends would be running for executive positions on the nonprofit board, which allows up to 20 voting members.

By Monday night, Bailey was no longer treasurer. Matt Sletten was no longer chairman. Jeff Martens, a fourth-generation North Ender who has been on the board for 25 years, was no longer vice chair. And Patrick McGuire was no longer secretary.

Holst, a Marion Street resident and proponent of bicycle lanes and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure, was appointed chair by the board members, and his friends and personal contacts took over the other leadership posts.

“A lot of people have served tirelessly for District 6 for a very long time,” said Holst, a rental property owner, on Thursday. “My focus is going to be on making the North End the best neighborhood it can be.”

The sudden turnover in leadership within the North End’s neighborhood planning council may underscore the extent to which bike lanes have become a contentious topic in St. Paul’s business districts. The districts have long struggled with how to balance the needs of drivers, pedestrians, business owners and nearby residents.

Scoffing at the prospect of adding bike lanes to a busy county thoroughfare, some business owners see cyclists as newcomers and outsiders inserting themselves into the discussion.

Cyclists and advocates of “new urbanism” say they’re a growing part of the city’s population, and too long overlooked. And they say the infrastructure they’re advocating for could help calm traffic, improve public safety and boost business sales by increasing general access. They believe it could save lives.

Sletten, who had been chair for a year, took the courtesy phone call from Holst personally. “It basically felt like he was slapping me in the face with a white glove for a pistol duel,” he said. “It was really interesting that all the new members voted out all the old members, and voted in themselves.”

RELATED: St. Paul: Rice Street to be rebuilt, segment, by segment, beginning in 2019

Board member Lynn Connolly is strongly weighing whether to resign in protest. “It was orchestrated,” said Connolly, who emphasized that at 64, she still lives in the home she was born in. “It was as if each had a script sitting in front of them. Right down the line, it was boom! boom! boom! you see the nominations being made.”

Others have made up their mind. Martens and board member Joe Byrnes submitted letters of resignation Wednesday, and Bailey, her daughter Brittani and Ronna Woolery say they’ll likely resign after the organization hosts its next meeting.

The clash may also represent a generational divide between the city’s older homeowners, largely wedded to their cars, and younger residents more open to different forms of transportation and pedestrian travel. Related Articles Biden’s Minnesota campaign destination revealed: Duluth

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DIVERSITY OF OPINION

Ethan Osten, co-chair of the St. Paul Bicycle Coalition, said allegations that his coalition waged a quiet takeover of the board are off-base.

Osten said he’s the only official coalition member to join District 6, though Holst sometimes comes to the coalition’s meetings. There’s plenty of diversity of opinion on the board over bike lanes, he said, even among new members.

Still, “we’re interested in getting feedback from the community on new directions,” said Osten, who was appointed to District 6 on Monday. “There’s still continuity on the board. I think it was just time for new leadership.”

https://twitter.com/ethanosten/status/860341206336888833

Members of the North End Business Association, the North End Improvement Club and the Rice Street Athletic Club have called for Ramsey County to improve Rice Street with well-marked and lighted pedestrian crossings, speed limit enforcement and consistent parking time limits.

But they want no reduction of existing on-street parking. Bike lanes would likely require eliminating parking on one side of the street, which they oppose.

Bailey said the district council echoed their concerns. At least it did, until Monday.

… And he's taking almost half the board with him. They're saying no to 3 lanes on Rice Street, new board leans yes pic.twitter.com/gH558DPAZF — FredMelo, Reporter (@FrederickMelo) May 3, 2017

“We always took into consideration what was in the best interest of the community,” Bailey said. “We need the community to step up and say this isn’t what we want.”

Holst arrived at a North End Business Association luncheon on Thursday striking a conciliatory tone. He urged the group to trade notes with the district council’s transportation committee, which he leads, as planning for Ramsey County’s 2019 Rice Street reconstruction project moves forward.

“I would like to see if there’s any interest in NEBA and D6 working together,” Holst said. “Like everyone else, I have concerns that maybe what’s being talked about is not the best for the people who live here.”

He encouraged cooperation, and perhaps a joint task force.

Despite skeptical faces in the audience, the suggestion drew the support of business association president Byron Toole, who runs the Junior ROTC program at the Washington Technology Magnet School.

“If 20 different people ask for 20 different things, these asks aren’t going to carry much weight,” Toole told the crowd.

But in a brief interview, Toole added later: “The vibe I get is that the businesses want on-street parking. The number one concerns are pedestrian safety and parking.” Related Articles St. Paul council approves mayor’s basic-income project for poor families

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SOCIAL FAULT LINES

Bailey and others say the District 6 council’s fault lines became obvious in September when she and others suggested installing a rain garden on Rice Street land across from her popular restaurant and bar.

The $16,000 project, which would feature drought-resistant plants, seemed low maintenance and environmentally friendly.

But Holst and other board members wanted to think bigger. Their plans called for $64,000 in improvements — a full pocket-park with benches and a walking trail.

Given the neighborhood’s experience with crime, Bailey, Martens and others flinched at the idea.

“The businesses were concerned it would become a hangout,” Bailey said.

The discussion over the park at times grew contentious. Bailey felt her concerns about crime were met with flip responses, and she emailed board members last fall to say, “I will not be disrespected like that.”

The rain garden plans have since been scaled back again, and nothing has been finalized.

At the council’s annual meeting in early April, dozens of residents elected seven members to the 20-seat board, including three new faces. On Monday, the new board chose executive leadership, and all the sitting officers lost their positions. Some members worry that the new board won’t be as committed to longstanding District 6 projects and partnerships, such as the Rice Street Festival or the annual Thanksgiving community dinner.

“My concern is for the health and well-being of the District 6 organization,” said Sletten, the ousted board chairman. “If they’re out there working on their own agenda and projects, I probably would step down.”

Ramsey County is studying potential traffic, parking and safety improvements to Rice Street, including the possibility of reducing its four lanes to three lanes in sections. County officials are likely to unveil their recommendations in November, with work to follow in 2019. To offer feedback, or learn more about the transportation safety study, visit tinyurl.com/RiceStreetMeeting.

Martens, who also plans to resign as chair of the nonprofit’s land-use planning task force, believes the board takeover was planned during a private house gathering in late April. If so, it may violate state open meeting law if a majority of the voting members were present. Osten and Holst have denied an “illegal meeting.”

Patty Lammers, a grant writer and nonprofits consultant who grew up in the North End, replaced Bailey as treasurer. Lammers said turnover is a positive thing.

The District 6 board had no strategic plan in place and was largely functioning based on longtime habit, she said.

Some see a geographic split on the board. The departing members note that after their resignations are complete, most of the remaining board members will live west of Rice Street on Arundel, Galtier and Marion streets.

“Two people on the board represent the areas east of Rice Street,” Martens said.