On the first point:  The goal for the API app is to have it be accessible for use in both LMS and CMS settings, so the code lives in Common.  At the moment, however, the only way to access the API is via the LMS.  The CMS test suite was failing due to the API not being accessible in that context at the present time, so the tests are being skipped until the point when we expose the API through this aspect of the system.  We could decide to do that right now, if we want, it's just how things have been configured thus far.

On the second point, I'm not sure -- I based what I have here on some prior art in another area of the system.  If there's a better/cleaner way to accomplish this (or even getting rid of the need altogether), I'm all for it.