Inclusionary Zoning

Pioneer Press Sat, 5 Jul 2008 06:56:39 MDT
The good news about, and good reasons for, affordable housing

The Pioneer Press' three-part series on affordable housing in the suburbs sheds light on a critical public policy issue. But readers could easily come away with an impression of hopelessness: neighbors angrily condemning affordable housing developments, residents of those properties feeling embattled, cities piling on regulations, and developers forced into building only luxury housing. That's not the full picture of affordable housing in the suburbs. Nor does it reflect the fact that there is good reason to believe we can do better in making our communities welcome to all. ... One of the most promising and underutilized tools for generating affordable units is Inclusionary Zoning. With IZ, a city expects a developer to include some affordable units in his or her new development in return for providing incentives to make it work financially for the developer. Typically, we look mostly to government subsidies to make housing units affordable; the beauty of IZ is that it can produce affordable units for households in the $40,000-income range without government subsidies. More than 400 cities in the U.S. have adopted some form of IZ, including Boston, Denver, Chicago, New York, and many smaller cities. For IZ to work, cities have to make sufficient concessions so that developers don't have to build the affordable units at a loss. The most common concession is a density bonus â€" allowing the developer to build more units on the same parcel of land. Even modest increases in density can have a boost for affordability, and the good news is we now know how to design higher-density housing to avoid the problems of the past. A number of cities here now use density bonuses, but we can do much more with this and with other incentives cities can offer. Many cities want to do the right thing in diversifying their housing supply; they just need more tools such as IZ. Now is a great time for citizens to play a role in nudging their local government in the right direction. All metro cities are rewriting their comprehensive plans for submission to the Metropolitan Council by the end of this year. Cities must include in those plans how they will meet their affordable housing goals for the next decade. Showing up at a public hearing and urging local officials to adopt IZ and similar strategies is one small but effective step toward more inclusive communities. Tim Thompson is president of the Housing Preservation Project, a St. Paul-based public interest law firm that uses legal and advocacy strategies to preserve and expand the supply of affordable housing. His e-mail address is tthompson@hppinc.org. More information on the role of local governments in affordable housing is available at www.TCHousingPolicy.org.

[[keywords: Housing;Metro;]]

Use it or lose it

Star Tribune Mon, 07 Jul 2008 04:37:43 GMT
Vibrant urban villages? Plans don't fit reality

As the housing slowdown dashes plans across the metro to create "livable" core communities, the Met Council is accommodating some adjusted goals. Stitched together by developers from fields and gravel pits, Apple Valley has worked for years to build the kind of downtown where residents can leave home in the morning and walk to the bus, their jobs or local stores. New restaurants and a hotel, townhouses and a park with water fountains where kids can play have already sprung up in the Central Village, but right next door, there are still empty fields. The housing market slump caused a slowdown in development that forced city leaders to plead earlier this summer to hang onto public funding that is key to their vision: a $2.3 million Livable Communities grant from the Metropolitan Council to build underground parking below an as-yet-unbuilt complex of housing and businesses on Galaxie Avenue. In the last year, Met Council officials have fielded an unprecedented number of requests from city leaders who already have Livable Communities grant money in hand, but say they need to change plans to make their community's project. And for the first time in the program's history, a shortage of deserving proposals led the Met Council to hold back about $3 million last year in money available through the program, which helps metro-area cities create thriving urban villages by cleaning up contaminated property and building affordable housing near businesses and public transit.

[[keywords: LandUse;Metro;]]

Wrong neighbors? No meal for you

Star Tribune Sun, 15 Jun 2008 03:00:55 GMT
Senior meal program in Ramsey County faces money woes

The clarification of a federal policy may mean some disabled residents will lose their reimbursed meals. A longtime senior nutrition program in Ramsey County that serves about 120,000 meals a year is facing a financial crisis that is threatening to trim back the program. The "congregate dining program,'' which offers warm meals and social time for seniors at apartment complexes and community centers, had been erroneously giving meals to too many disabled people under age 60, according to a clarification issued this year on federal requirements. Up to $1.6 million was spent on the meals for disabled and low-income residents since 2004 who were later found not to be eligible for reimbursement, said Ramsey County Commissioner Janice Rettman, who is on the board of directors of the agency running the dining program, Community Action Partnership of Ramsey and Washington Counties. It's unclear whether the money will need to be repaid. Under federal guidelines, disabled people can get the reduced-cost meals as long as seniors comprise more than 50 percent of the occupants of their apartment building. A shift in the makeup of people living in senior housing buildings meant nine of 17 buildings in Ramsey County no longer met that standard, said Kirk Hayes, acting executive director of the Community Action Partnership.

[[keywords: Living;Ramsey;]]

We are here from the government to help you

Pioneer Press 06/07/2008 04:18:33 AM GMT
Roseville's new inspection program seeks to educate residents, prevent code violations

Roseville residents can expect to see a team of city inspectors browsing through their neighborhoods soon, looking for code violations. The city is launching a pilot inspection program this month called the Neighborhood Enhancement Program. Code inspectors will systematically inspect neighborhoods, instead of driving around town chasing complaints. The idea is to keep residents educated and prevent serious code violations, City Manager Bill Malinen said. "Some people might not like it because they'll be subjected to inspections and enforcement, but on the flip side there might be 10 neighbors who are appreciative of that," Malinen said. "We're just trying to maintain the appearance of our city and the value of the properties." City officials started hammering out program details about six months ago, looking for a way to improve the enforcement process and efficiency. The idea came from Imagine Roseville 2025, a community study in which residents were asked about their vision and priorities for the city. Code enforcement and problem properties were issues they said they'd like the city to improve upon. So Roseville officials looked to their neighbors, Malinen said. They modeled the Neighborhood Enhancement Program after Shoreview's SHINE (Shoreview Housing Inspections for Neighborhood Enhancement), which has been in operation for five years.

[[keywords: LandUse;PublicSafety;Living;Ramsey;]]

Porta-potty stock may be safe hedge

Star Tribune Thu, 05 Jun 2008 01:44:55 GMT
Twin Cities residential construction shows signs of life

With buyers on the sidelines, residential construction in the Twin Cities area in May was about half of what it was last year, but it showed some signs of improvement from April -- thanks in large part to a bump in multifamily building, according to data released Wednesday by the Builders Association of the Twin Cities. During May, home builders were issued 255 permits to build 498 units. That's a 52 percent decline in permits and a 34 percent decline in new units. Association President KC Chermak of Pillar Homes said the monthly increase "may not spell the beginning of a sustained recovery," but he added that there's some evidence that the market has hit bottom. In February, construction activity hit a 10-year low of 170 permits to build 217 units. (More than one unit can be built with a single permit.) The market got a modest boost last month from an increase in multifamily construction, including condominiums and rental apartments. Minneapolis, for example, issued more permits last month than any other community -- six permits to build 89 units.

[[keywords: LandUse;Housing;Metro;]]

If you don't build it, they won't come

Star Tribune Tue, 03 Jun 2008 05:07:41 GMT
Developers delay, and neighbors in Minneapolis feel the pain

As a stalled condo project languishes, some seek stiffer rules for land maintenance before extending any deadlines. Drive west across the Ford Bridge and after a sweeping turn you'll arrive at one of the gateways to Minneapolis. There's a nice-looking luxury condo building at the first stoplight. But it exists only on a fabric advertising screen that's attached to a tall chain-link fence at the corner of E. 46th Street and 46th Avenue S. Behind the fence lies the reality of a project stalled before it even rose above ground level, either by a faltering housing market or a developer's hubris, depending on whom you ask. Signs were installed without permits, a sidewalk is collapsing and neighbors are tired of having to detour around barriers for which the developer is late on fees. "It's been very, very frustrating," said Kevin Sullivan, who lives four doors north. "It really changes the nature of the neighborhood because it's close to [Minnehaha Park]. It's been a huge eyesore." The city may revoke the permit that allows the condos to encroach on 46th Avenue and two sidewalks. Revoking a permit is a rare step, according to area Council Member Sandra Colvin Roy. The incident highlights the concerns some council members have about the neighborhood impact of stalled projects. That has held up council action so far on a plan to give more time to developers who haven't broken ground on city-approved projects.

[[keywords: Housing;Living;Metro;]]

Long, hot summer

Star Tribune Sun, 01 Jun 2008 11:55:23 GMT
Home mortgage 'reset' shock to hit suburbs

The foreclosure crisis in Minnesota continues and is now poised to spread from cities to suburbs. In large swaths of the Twin Cities and across the state, 40 percent of more than 50,000 subprime loans will jump to higher payments this year. Another 22 percent will reset after this year. In Twin Cities suburbs, where home construction once boomed, hundreds of square miles are dotted with the homes of tens of thousands of subprime borrowers who will skid into higher monthly payments in 2008. Seventy-seven percent of such loans were taken out after 2004. Older, urban neighborhoods have already seen a cascade of foreclosures in recent months. Declining interest rates could provide a respite for some, but the breather on higher payments may be short-lived. "Foreclosure rates, certainly for 2008, will remain high and, in some places, at historical levels," said Michael Grover, an author of a new study published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "We certainly are not out of the storm."

[[keywords: Housing;Metro;]]

Penny wise

Star Tribune Wed, 28 May 2008 01:52:02 GMT
Ham Lake is leery of refinancing debt to save interest costs

Anoka County voted to go ahead with Ramsey bond refinancing after Ham Lake balked at a chance to save thousands of dollars. Refinancing senior housing projects in Ramsey and Ham Lake could save hundreds of thousands of dollars for both Anoka County cities, county officials said Tuesday. But Ham Lake remained unconvinced. Asking how Ham Lake could stall when offered a chance to save "a half-million in this economy," Commissioner Dan Erhart led the County Board in passing a resolution approving the refinancing of housing development bonds through the county for Ramsey only. If Ham Lake doesn't opt within a month to refinance the debt on the Willows complex, the city would be charged a $50,000 fee to issue bonds if it later chose to refinance, Erhart suggested to the board. With its refinancing, Ramsey could save an estimated $40,000 a year for the next 18 years, county officials said. The principal amount of bonds authorized by the county for both cities combined was set at a maximum of $6.2 million, and the interest rate is capped at 4.5 percent. Clearly frustrated by Ham Lake's indecisiveness, Erhart said he couldn't begin to "explain why the [Ham Lake] City Council is making the decisions they are." "We are very cautious," explained Ham Lake council member Julie Braastad. "We do our research. We don't just jump on the bandwagon. We look at ourselves as being unique."

[[keywords: Officials;PropertyTax;Metro;]]

Market gets poor appraisal

Star Tribune Tue, 27 May 2008 14:09:44 GMT
Widely watched housing index says US home prices fell at steepest rate in 20 years in 1st qtr

NEW YORK - U.S. home prices dropped at the sharpest rate in two decades during the first quarter, a closely watched index showed Tuesday, a somber indication that the housing slump continues to deepen. Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller said its national home price index fell 14.1 percent in the first quarter compared with a year earlier, the lowest since its inception in 1988. The quarterly index covers all nine U.S. Census divisions.

[[keywords: Housing;PropertyTax;Metro;]]

Sod house developments

Star Tribune Sun, 25 May 2008 02:48:49 GMT
Sod-farm use develops into grass-roots issue in Ham Lake

The northern suburb is split on the right approach for retaining the community's rural character. The Ham Lake City Council has drawn a line in the sod. On one side is the mayor, who says it's time to let landowners develop sod fields without city restrictions that call for a minimum of one acre of land for each house. "Instead of spreading 40 houses over 40 acres, what I'd like to do is take these 40 houses, cluster them," said Mayor Paul Meunier. "Use 5 or 6 acres for housing and turn the rest back to its natural habitat. You'd have wetlands, wildlife preserves that guarantee open space forever. We'd maintain our rural character." But that's not how things have been done before in Ham Lake, say other members of the City Council. "One acre, one house," said Joey Erikson, one of four City Council members who support the current development plan. "I support future farm-sod development," Erikson said. "I've seen the great developments that have occurred in Blaine. But I don't support cluster." At issue is the very fabric -- or sod -- on which this community in northern Anoka County is built.

[[keywords: Housing;Living;Metro;]]

This land is your land, this land is my land

Star Tribune Wed, 21 May 2008 16:17:14 GMT
Plan for senior home riles Bloomington neighbors

A church wants to sell some of its land -- which is now green space -- to a senior housing developer to fund its own expansion. Seven active kids grew up in the Grobel house on Thomas Avenue in Bloomington. The fields behind it were an ideal playground, with a baseball diamond and a makeshift hockey rink that their dad flooded in the winter. But the almost 10 acres of grass and trees wasn't a city park. The land belonged to Southtown Baptist Church, which for 50 years has welcomed use of the green space that surrounds the church at 2600 W. 82nd St. Now the church wants to pay for much of the cost of a new building by selling about half of its land for a senior co-op development. But United Properties' plans for a four-story building in a neighborhood of 1950s ramblers have upset some neighbors. The church and developer are trying to find a compromise that will satisfy everyone. United Properties and the church's architect are redoing their plans and hope to approach the city again in the next two months. "The neighborhood response has taken us aback," said the church's pastor, Stan McFall. "We are listening to them. ... We just need to step back, take a breather and redesign to address the concerns of the City Council and the neighbors." About 200 people signed a petition objecting to the project, and opponents started a website. Brian Pahos, who has lived in his Thomas Avenue home for eight years, is one of the organizers of Bloomington Residents for Appropriate Development. His street to the west of church property. "They're trying to fit something in that's absolutely out of character with this neighborhood," he said. "They're going for high density. ... This area was zoned single-family residential, and we assumed if anything was built it would be in that character."

[[keywords: Parks;Housing;Metro;]]

Coming and going

Star Tribune Wed, 21 May 2008 05:39:18 GMT
Housing slump doesn't mean tax slump

Some south-metro homeowners have been shocked by assessments that claim their property values -- and, likely, their taxes -- are rising. Aaron Sanders was dumbfounded to learn that the taxes on his home in Shakopee will be calculated based on a value of $258,000. "Where does this come from?" he asked. "It's been years since any homes in my neighborhood have sold for more than $230,000. If I could get even $240,000 for it, I would sell tomorrow. And they're adding another $18,000 on top of that." The problem: The tax he will pay next year will be based, in part, on the taxable market value assigned to his home. So an inflated number does him no favors. Welcome to property tax assessment season, Version 2008. This is the one where homeowners hope that the slump in the value of property across the metro area will have at least one small reward for them: a discount on the taxes they pay for it. For a variety of reasons, however, many have found themselves disappointed -- and, like Sanders, have turned up at City Hall to protest. About 20 people came one evening last week in Shakopee to lodge complaints. And the Prior Lake City Council spent the better part of two hours fielding criticisms from a roomful of unhappy people.

[[keywords: Housing;PropertyTax;Metro;]]

Slow, not stopped

Pioneer Press Sat, 17 May 2008 02:15:28 -0600
New Brighton Northwest Quadrant / Four homebuilders to pitch plans for New Brighton

Despite a sluggish housing market, four developers have lined up to build homes in New Brighton. The city requested proposals about two months ago from companies interested in building in the Northwest Quadrant â€" 100 acres of former commercial and industrial land near Interstates 694 and 35W that the city has spent millions cleaning up. K. Hovnanian Homes, Ryland Homes, Stuart Management Corp. and Sherman Associates Inc. recently came forward, said City Administrator Dean Lotter. City officials hope the selection of a developer â€" which could happen as early as May 27 â€" will build momentum for future Northwest Quadrant development. It's a bright spot after a slew of problems, including the pull-out of the project's lead housing developer last fall and environmental issues on the land. "This one area being developed won't be the antidote for the overall challenges that face the project, but it will be a great step forward," Lotter said. In October, Rottlund Homes pulled out, citing the city's failure to adhere to contract terms. The city sued, saying Rottlund was in breach of contract. The parties settled this week, and the city agreed to return $950,000 of the builder's $1 million advance deposit.

[[keywords: LandUse;Housing;Metro;]]

Affordable housing

Star Tribune Sun, 18 May 2008 14:02:36 GMT
The $100,000 house makes big comeback

Qualified home buyers are breathing life into entry-level and low-end housing markets. Three years ago the choices for entry-level buyers like Sarah Kiefer were so meager that with a budget of just $120,000 she all but gave up on buying a house. The down market revived that dream. This week, Kiefer will close on a Colonial-style fixer-upper in north Minneapolis with 1,800 square feet and a fireplace for $75,000. "My No. 1 goal in life was to own a home," she said. "And in this market I could afford to buy a house." She had plenty of choices. This month more than 2,600 houses were on the market at less than $120,000 -- a 608 percent increase over the same period in 2005, according to the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors. The inventory for all price ranges increased 62 percent over 2005.

[[keywords: Housing;Metro;]]

Ripples

Star Tribune Fri, 16 May 2008 04:43:47 GMT
Facing foreclosure? Don't count on becoming a landlord

Columbia Heights is putting a six-month halt on new rental applications. Says The city has enough, the mayor says.

[[keywords: Housing;Metro;]]

Tax-exempt Starbucks?

Star Tribune Fri, 16 May 2008 04:47:57 GMT
Renovations reflect churches' changing roles

Congregations are getting away from large buildings that aren't used most of the week. ... "The megachurch concept in the suburbs certainly isn't anything new," said Kermit Mahlum, chief operating officer of Shepherd's Path, the label for the cluster of facilities being built with Shepherd of the Lake Lutheran Church at its core. "But I think this 'church campus' setting is a thing of the future," he said. "We've got 80 acres we're planning to develop -- and we're now looking at a major medical complex as well." ... "This campus is probably the closest thing that either Prior Lake or Savage have to a real 'community center,'" Mahlum said. Shakopee has one, but this will be brand new and state-of-the-art. "We even have a Starbucks," he said -- proof that churches aren't what they used to be.

[[keywords: LandUse;Housing;Living;PropertyTax;Metro;]]

Ripples

Star Tribune Wed, 14 May 2008 09:04:16 GMT
Late payments drive number of US homes facing foreclosure in April up 65 percent from year ago

LOS ANGELES - More U.S. homeowners fell behind on mortgage payments last month, driving the number of homes facing foreclosure up 65 percent versus the same month last year and contributing to a deepening slide in home values, a research company said Tuesday. Nationwide, 243,353 homes received at least one foreclosure-related filing in April, up 65 percent from 147,708 in the same month last year and up 4 percent since March, RealtyTrac Inc. said. Nevada, Arizona, California and Florida were among the hardest hit states, with metropolitan areas in California and Florida accounting for nine of the top 10 areas with the highest rate of foreclosure, the company said.

[[keywords: Housing;Metro;]]

How much service is good enough?

Star Tribune Wed, 14 May 2008 02:02:02 GMT
Savage's dilemma: Fire stations cost, but so can slow response

Savage is facing tough choices on one or more new facilities: cost vs. delayed response to some parts of town. The city of Savage is facing a decision on whether to build one or more costly new fire stations amid warnings that it suffers from "significant areas of service deficiency." And a former fire chief is dissenting from the consensus achieved by the group that examined whether new stations are needed. When lives and property are at stake, said Al McColl, now a member of the City Council, "I have problems with merely being 'adequate.'" A report presented late Monday at an informal workshop with the council warns that crews are "often" taking longer than the optimal seven minutes to reach emergencies west of Hwy. 13 and in the planned growth zone south of 150th Street. But new stations could cost $1.25 million each at a time when a slowdown in growth and housing values is placing pressure on cities' finances. A significant subplot has to do with whether to ask the city's taxpayers for permission to proceed.

[[keywords: PublicSafety;Metro;]]

Selling public property? Say it isn't so

Star Tribune Wed, 14 May 2008 00:16:57 GMT
Edina back to square one after land deal falls through

The city now must look for another solution for housing public works. Edina's decade-long search for a new site for its public works department had appeared to be over in recent months, but now it's back on. A planned land swap would have given public works spacious new quarters while allowing a developer to build a medical office building on the old public works site. But that deal has fallen through. Edina Family Physicians, the main tenant in the proposed medical office development, notified the developer that they "no longer have the commitments" to go ahead with the project. The application for a development plan was withdrawn last week. While the stalled plans create a problem for the city, it is a relief to some Edina residents who had opposed the sale of one of the few pieces of developable public land left in the city. They had lobbied the city to hang on to the 3.5-acre public works site at 5146 Eden Av. as a possible home for a youth center or some other public use. After the city announced that the deal had fallen through, Mayor Jim Hovland said at a council meeting that he wanted to start a dialogue with residents about how the city should handle the sale of public property in the future.

[[keywords: LandUse;Metro;]]

Green is big, not just branding

Star Tribune Wed, 14 May 2008 00:24:57 GMT
A whole new way for a lawn to be green

New incentives encourage suburban homeowners to plant Earth-friendly rain gardens. Few things are more sacred in suburbia than the green lawn, but homeowners willing to give up some grass for more nature-friendly landscaping can claim a chunk of cash instead. In parts of Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Minnetonka, Edina, Richfield and Hopkins that lie within the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District, residents who install rain gardens to catch storm water or plant native plants along a shoreline are eligible for reimbursement of up to $3,000 from the watershed district. In a smaller program, Eden Prairie is offering a reward of up to $500 for trying the new landscaping.

[[keywords: Housing;Living;Metro;]]