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Lakeville zoning changes _
<br /> • will boost ho . ....
<br /> me building
<br /> .i.4
<br /> z t^x z �T'
<br /> costs;preserve wetland.. ., 74,14s
<br /> By Dennis Cassano; ,., - enough housing for the-poor. He
<br /> Staff Writer cr._ , - said the number of low-income peoji.
<br /> ... ....^° pie has decreased in Lakevl&fn thea;
<br /> Lakeville as changed its zoning or- last 10 years. . JJ, ? `. l'-x
<br /> dinances to slow growth, protect the -
<br /> environment and increase its tax By"building a wall"around the sub-
<br /> base. urb that keeps poor people out, Or-
<br /> field said,Lakeville will contribute to
<br /> 'City Administrator Bob Erickson ac- a rippling effect through the'metro-
<br /> knowledges that the mayor and City politan area that results in larger.
<br /> Council have adopted changes that numbers of poor people in the core
<br /> will make it more expensive to build cities and fewer in the suburbs. Or-
<br /> a`.house in the southern Dakota field has been arguing in the Lcgisla- .
<br /> County city.' However, he said, 'ture that the suburbs should be re-.
<br /> "We're just evolving into higher-end quired to have more housing for the';
<br /> housing.Most of our housing stock is poor.
<br /> moderate income." .: „
<br /> Erickson contends that Lakeville '
<br /> He said that just 7 percent of the does have its share of low-income'.
<br /> houses in Lakeville cost more than housing. "But the environment was,
<br /> $110,000."We have an abundance of the key issue" in making the zoning
<br /> starter homes," Erickson said, with changes, he said. "The fiscal issue
<br /> 1,000 mobile homes, 7,000 moder- was a sidelight." . . _
<br /> ately priced homes and just 1,000 -
<br /> valued at more than $150,000. He The city is getting high marks from:_
<br /> said the city also has low-income conservation officials for taking steps'
<br /> housing and recently added 70 low- . to preserve its 700 to 800.wetland':.
<br /> income apartment units. sites. The once-common practice of y -
<br /> •. filling in wetlands for farming or ur-
<br /> But Rep. Myron Orfield, DFL-Min- banization recently has turned to one
<br /> • neapolis, said that the changes will of preservation.
<br /> keep low-income people out of Lake-
<br /> ville.He said Lakeville does not have Lakeville- continued on page 3B
<br /> t. ._- s .. . .
<br /> Lakeville/ awill beamon � the first
<br /> Y g
<br /> to create a,bbank'=�to protect wetlands
<br /> continued from page lB . •
<br /> lost. Wetland banks will provide a average lot size in the metropolitan
<br /> ......14.,:• way to produce a large wetland rather area is 12,000 square feet.
<br /> ,L.ckeville has taken the ultimate step than a number of smaller ones.
<br /> ;-of buying the wetland property in its '' ' The city also is requiring that new
<br /> city.As developers build houses,the ,-Jim Haertel, a conservationist with houses have room on their lots for
<br /> tietlands on their properties will be;" the state Board of Water and Soil three-stall garages, a deck and a
<br /> tamed over to the city in lied of Resources, said a number of cities porch.The city is not requiring that
<br /> pltyments for connecting to the city - are interested in developing the wet- they be built,only that there be room
<br /> norm sewer system.Erickson said he land banks under rules of the state for them in case homeowners wants
<br /> d s not know what the ultimate cost Wetland Conservation Act of 1991 to add them later. That avoids re-
<br /> o the wetlands to the city will be,but that go into effect in January. State quests to expand into areas the city
<br /> "t will cost millions." , ; and county highway departments wants preserved,Erickson said.
<br /> • i - o'•-', , • have been using the banks for years,
<br /> ,.The city also has decided that mini- he said. , :Johnston said all of those elements
<br /> ,.alum lot sizes cannot include wet- "have raised the cost of buying a
<br /> «'lends.That means there will be fewer Steve Kernik of the Dakota County house in Lakeville. Developers are
<br /> i'b uses adjacent to wetlands..t.- ',">.-Soil and Water Conservation District _unhappy with it because it makes life
<br /> if , ' said that,all in all, Lakeville is"do- tough for us,'he said.Developers are
<br /> 'i e also will be among the first, in
<br /> ' g as much as anyone can do" to "going"to pass those costs on to the
<br /> ';i I not the first, city to create a wet- protect wetlands. "They are taking .public.".,
<br /> ii lands bank. It is negotiating the pur- this seriously.", ( ws
<br /> ;'chase of a 20-acre parcel that in- - .'- ' aErickson said Johnston is right. He
<br /> 'clWdes a low-quality wetland. Devel- Erickson said the city also is taking ;said;:the city needs•higher-priced
<br /> Ito will pay forimproving that extra steps to protect trees so that :homes that produce more tax reve1
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<br /> 11111
<br /> "vnd in exchange for encroachingdevelopers
<br /> . do not clear-cut an area to ron-
<br /> rnue in order to pay for the environ-
<br /> I. .
<br /> lI.o other marshes to build such things make it easier to build.. i mental protections,it has adopted. 1
<br /> Lits access roads,Erickson said. '
<br /> 1 Minimum single-family lots are in-Under state and federal laws,private creasing'from 11,000 to 15,000 ,.
<br /> krid public entities must mitigate the r square feet.James Johnston, project , '
<br /> iss of any'wetland by replacing it,_manager for the Sienna Corp.,a ma-
<br /> ..elsewhere with twice as n ich as was •jor:Tv,Itin.Cities developer, said the T
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