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6A St.Cloud Times L1
<br /> 1 From Page 1A
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<br /> .„... .. ,.....,,,_,_,„_-:„,-1,,,--,_'-i.._ - Housing . . .
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<br /> Meeting the goal was difficult
<br /> because leaders spent a consider-
<br /> able amount of time last year
<br /> clarifying details,they said.By
<br /> the time prices were set,housing `
<br /> developments already had been
<br /> approved for most of the cities.
<br /> In Waite Park's case,no housing
<br /> developments were passed in
<br /> 2003,rendering it impossible to
<br /> produce any affordable homes.
<br /> "The attitudes of city leader-
<br /> ship play a large role in convey
<br /> ing expectations,and some cities
<br /> t= f' a-. « : got on it sooner than others;said
<br /> d � Dan Finn,chairman of the af-
<br /> b zk•' fordable-housing committee.
<br /> '- "City councils seem to be paying
<br /> r l x attention to the agreement,but
<br /> N planning commissions seem to
<br /> a n -' be more resistant to smaller lots,
<br /> . s which you need to have to get of
<br /> te t
<br /> z fordable homes:'
<br /> s4 , Finn said his comments were
<br /> •
<br /> y: ., based on conversations with de-
<br /> < x 4 ,.,„� ' i ,.•,_ �4, ." velPop rress reports for 2003
<br /> y1 x
<br /> v • � _ arent Progress
<br /> until March,Finn said.
<br /> r 4, ., si ifs Y� Cities are responsible for coin-
<br /> '
<br /> t• ' 7, oif". pleting them and turning them
<br /> £ � ` into Finn's group.
<br /> 1 fa, Positive results
<br /> � 5 � q
<br /> ' g r City leaders in St.Cloud have•fill tr•- v_ ,; : a-•,f .' i¢ ,, �. " * done a good job of touting af-
<br /> `. - fordable housing,going so far as
<br /> ` �. t. to enact a law that provides in-
<br /> centives for builders,Finn said.
<br /> .
<br /> ;.4‘,:f1•1'...1-!;:t.,---1 ' `° Under the Life Cycle Housing
<br /> Times photos by Paul Middlestaedt,pmiddlestaedt @stcloudtimes.com ordinance passed last August,
<br /> qualified developers in St.Cloud
<br /> Croat-Kerfeld Homes to sell can build neighborhoods with a
<br /> higher-than-normal density of
<br /> 2 Sartell units in February single-family homes without
<br /> pitching a special zoning plan.
<br /> The incentives include fee
<br /> Two Life sale Housing units expect a home home buyers can waivers and reductions for devel-
<br /> will be for sale in Sartell in mid- expect a home similar to the opers who build affordable
<br /> February.The sale price of the one pictured here,with the fol- homes and apartments.
<br /> homes,in the Fox Run of Avalon lowing exceptions:
<br /> Village development,will be • Antique brass or brass han- have been keeping track of
<br /> $131,000. dies will be offered in the Life Cy- our developers commitments to
<br /> Under the agreement Sartell cle Homes,not chrome handles. the goal,"St.Cloud planning di-
<br /> leaders have with Croat-Kerfeld • The Life Cycle Homes will rector Matt Glaesman said.
<br /> Homes,if the homes are not not have exterior shakes. "Since we passed the ordinance,
<br /> sold to a qualified buyer before • The Life Cycle Homes will I'd say we're definitely meeting it."
<br /> March 16,they will not be sold not have grid windows. About 300 affordable homes
<br /> as a Life Cycle Housing unit.A For information,call Central will be in St.Cloud within the
<br /> family can then expect to pay Minnesota Housing Partnership next eight years,according to sta
<br /> $137,900. at 259-0393. tistics from the Central Min-
<br /> e , nesota Housing Partnership.The
<br /> L''"1- \ ` . �-e ,,� � agency is facilitating sales of the
<br /> s -� -- homes.Thirty townhomes in the
<br /> - _t'„ �� 1 city's Westwood development are
<br /> � � � '.' already available at$126,000.
<br /> t �- . iii . Sartell will have 19 affordable
<br /> . r ' homes and 42 affordable rental
<br /> units.
<br /> f3,- Sartell leaders also played the
<br /> ? 4 ° i X z incentive game,using tax-incre-
<br /> ` ,,, ment financing and other meth-
<br /> <�, - ods to encourage builders to ere-
<br /> . ~�F ate lower-priced homes in what is
<br /> �°°
<br /> �t � � ' �* a��{ the fastest-growing city in the St.
<br /> •- �- - Cloud area,city planner Anita
<br /> . fi .- - -, Rasmussen said.Affordable hous-
<br /> '' '' - in g also has been strongly em-
<br />
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