Brickbat: Out in the Cold
A volunteer in the Northeast United Methodist Church walipini in Minneapolis (Kim Palmer/TNS/Newscom)
Four years ago, members of the Northeast United Methodist Chuch asked Minneapolis officials if they needed a permit to build on church grounds a walipini, a type of greenhouse in which much of the structure is beneath the ground. They were told they just needed to abide by size and setback requirements, similar to putting a shed on their property. They successfully grew vegetables through the winter in the greenhouse, but at least one person filed a complaint that it was an eyesore, so city officials told the church to remove it.