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■ Thursday,May 9,2002 • Section B
<br /> Backhousing t� b� ��t� ,
<br /> Around Minnesota, new subdivisions echo the old part of town—homes are on * StarTribune
<br /> 0 small lots and have styling details. The surprise is that they're affordable.
<br /> A typical subdivision Thr °•:
<br /> ::,,,,4.= A different approach
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<br /> "4u 6„�, i .'�'�,;,Y.r..' .. ,'d+.'4£•'Yf' ,.�k�� 1"1, niW, .4�.,4 _"� � ` HOUSING from i�i�
<br /> '," •�..,,�,,,;.; , ° ',' _ '�' ,,.•:�,; "� � development could fit on lots
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<br /> • • �•x.. �;�;•;•,v" y.,a;�,:.',:,,.T;>'-��< „�/ ,:fir - ��.�� that were 65 -
<br /> ,��,; ., :rrar., +,�",. !'� �1; � ,r" feet wide, as op
<br /> ,'1'i" ,74, ,its - %.5.:7{v "1 Eto, .'4 'fi,'.; " _
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<br /> posed to 150.As the west-central
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<br /> •�, :.• ;, ', -.'a•- ;t ur,,.. -',' ' ley. Minnesota town
<br /> .� - ':�; � �;'''-�� �, -- , . y' 1 gears up to re-
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<br /> quest funding from the Housing
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<br /> c" 14,,,, -'• to provideFund it is Tannin for a more
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<br /> + R's. rrw � u." S;fs:•ri,;v •. $� ,,r;, yiy�y,x; i��* ' '.x_ s_' compact development. (The
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<br /> a ``"'' The total can
<br /> - �M,.:;�,� ^.r.�•c�''�•.- ;, �=;•- _ ��;;;�.-• � ,� mean the dif- He said his staff started fiord set upbythe
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<br /> r-. t,?, :Fatly
<br /> ..� _„,:. ,, ,,; "e." _ eSti Cloud i`;'.j;''M110S,,,,r;;+ � f
<br /> M„ _;��-, •-, �; �.�;,;,•.; ^• ,,, ;,,,4..,.-;,1_ ference between a sale price of lookingat ways to increase and Blandin foundations, ac-
<br /> '' ;,,�„__•-' ,.:',k,''. $1 0,0 and $112,000 — and production threeyears ago. cepts applications for rental and
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<br /> -._ I�utehiilsarr�~F:.l-� �•-,,. �;j;;1,���J75, •-,-.. . .� .., �.. �'' g P PP
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<br /> .. ::.: =h x•''.;St+elIti,' :, �a,. ra , that makes home ownership;, v„,r y. s tp Producing one single-family single-family housin develo -
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<br /> .."3:;;2- 'A7,,,,,,:4; flat -i f :i:.
<br /> ;.-;.,. . ,." !.•_, ;',!:71,_,;�'''',. =.':{; .4,a16-:'-:'7,_ _ easier. house at a time w
<br /> •';; .;,_: • ., '„{.;tm asn't getting mentstwiceayear.)
<br /> Garages dominate the street in this start- Courtland'% . •yyaseca- w' lona' A month ago, Shana Jack us veryfar,”he said.
<br /> "By talking value, you can
<br /> ::•;;,;'1, st:'.`.:.,,,N_,;.,Flr.,T;;` 0:i.'-, - ” Greater Minnesota Housing Fund photos son, her husband, Robert, and Lookingto thepost-World open people's hearts and
<br /> er-home subdivision in Fargo-Moorhead. ,Winadrro': :,-- : ' '" At Nicollet Meadows in St.Peter P p p
<br /> Driveways and wide streets make for lots Peter-,?;=��" r;. ,,garages a 6-year-old son, Dominique, War II subdivisions that minds to affordable housing,"
<br /> are set back,and landscaping and archi- moved into Nicollet Meadows churned out badly needed Hanson said.In Nicollet Mead-
<br /> of paving,which increases building costs. Nicollet Austin `._Grand Meadow tectural detail soften house facades, from an apartment in St.Peter. housing, Hanson wondered ows, houses that sell for
<br /> How it works Though both she and Robert whether similar economies of $115,000 sit next to $200,000
<br /> Efforts to build better-designed By Linda Mack are working, Shana said they'd scale could be found. The houses.It's a radical idea in to-
<br /> The Building Better Neighborhoods approach re- but affordable housing are under Star Tribune Staff Writer never thought about buying a Housing Fund teamed with day's market, where each sub-
<br /> duces the cost of new houses by designing more- way in the towns shown above. house because of the upfront Todd Rhoades of the St. Paul division targets its price point.
<br /> compact neighborhoods: ost new subdivisions in outstate Min- costs. In Nicollet Meadows, architecture firm Cermak But it's typical of Midwestern
<br /> • Sites:They're chosen near existing parks, nesota plop starter homes dominated they could put down $100 to Rhoades and former University small towns.
<br /> schools,shops and streets to keep infrastructure Two ways to use by garages on large lots in former farm reserve a lot,had no down pay- of Minnesota urban designer Ditto for the more compact
<br /> costs down and to allow easy accessibility. fields. mens andgot helpwith closingBill Morrish. Theyapplied the lots.
<br /> Lots:They're planned at modest sizes— the same space: PP
<br /> Nicollet Meadows in St. Peter took a different costs. Now they're paying only principles of New Urbanism— "We found that land-use
<br /> 50 to 60 feet wide rather than 80 to 120 feet A large-lot scenario approach:A mix of homes—some affordable and about •$100 more than they • building new developments planning is the whole thing,"
<br /> wide—and the space that is saved remains
<br /> some more costly—with an emphasis on curb paid in rent. like old ones, with compact Hanson said. "It's the thing
<br /> open for neighborhood use. •;.,,�-•��� '�,;, , , ,,,,, '���,�_,: ., i
<br /> Streets:They'rebuilt 28 to 34 feet wide ' Y5 � ,;3 ," 4 <cl ''''94:Z.." appeal and city-sizedlots. They're'enjoying their two lots, a varietyof house sizes, that defines how the neighbor
<br /> ° ' Todd Prafke, St. Peter city admin
<br /> .�� a�ltlew Y j Y�g
<br /> rather than the more typical 40 feet.That "-:= °' � '°�"`° "'� �t ���"•�`'=` bedroom 985-square-foot sidewalks and public space, hood feels as a place to live—
<br /> 0 ;;'' '�4; ', a V ''$ 6 Cots istrator, described the approach as house,which is near a park and and sometimes even alleys. and it saves the most cost.The
<br /> saves moneyand concrete and makes ;i '- _ _:" 4••r:%: '" ,;''
<br /> • 1:L'il ;1t; 7, ° antisprawl and pro-working family." an elementaryschool,and they "We never use those terms," design of the house is the frost-
<br /> streets safer for pedestrians(research '�''f'�= -' � � g
<br /> `" ".. "" r a"e���=3;�p-.o�" Nicollet Meadows is one of a
<br /> has shown that cars slow down when " ."'°�" ' 'Sv`t4c:.r ' - ' '" plan to finish the basement Tat Hanson said. "We're just talking ing on the cake."
<br /> streets are narrower
<br /> '!.!;,,A.4::',7":> ` ` _' ; '� `.' "' :• dozen dveltoents around
<br /> then need er to double their space. about healthy neighborhoods"
<br /> 1 Existin , ! x ; . ;y,,- designedBut theapplication of those —Linda Mack is at
<br /> Houses:They're kept simple`in lots•:'`-:� , ' ' '1', -'."7,7,".P.';5' .: for affordable housing — and
<br /> •,a ,,: , z,, 0""• ,., ,1.;:.,;;, Behind the efforts principles to affordable neigh- lmack@startribune.com.
<br /> shape and modest in size,with expan ; .;,-7444,-:71:. :, -' _F.,- 1r �'I :t 1 create better-designed neighbor- The driving force behind borhoods rather than high-end
<br /> Sion space built in. Garages are built � _ " - � ' �"''��"' �'�^'"`'
<br /> g `_- -, , •.' hoods. A dozen more are under Nicollet Meadows is the Building subdivisions is a breakthrough.
<br /> back from the street. . `- - •",-- '2 "•. '.,`" "°;' ;7.,.' "" '"
<br /> " s '" Gn 2•,,
<br /> .7---,,? .• ; g• ° - discussion. Better Neighborhoods program And the clear and appealing re-
<br /> Landscaping:Trees and flowers are °-�*I•, J`,r1 Q"; •':i} �^ `'°;A ; °'`' In a tight housing market the initiatedb ttheHousin Fund. sentation of the ideas has made
<br /> added to soften the streetscape. Natural - ----.4. -• ,, ,, ',4—,' Y g
<br /> ',`'r'` • ` effort is not surprising. But 'the The Housing Fund has fi them more readily accepted.An
<br /> features such as ponds and woods are pre- � ," •- �~`��'` v'�� ��` �'��" 'WF_�
<br /> ° ,4 i ., y T,sir'' epiphany,"said Warren Hanson,head nanced 4,000 housing units illustrated workbook sets out the
<br /> served.Trails are created to link the neigh 'N ^.41-'"''' ''."''''
<br /> �X ;..- 4. : ty'`.:,, , :, t '..t,-~,;y, of the organization behind the projects, since it was created in 1996, concepts with Minnesota exam
<br /> boyhood to open space. �� -� �}•:•;°u'� P
<br /> "was finding that better design helped and the Building Better Neigh- pies. Interactive workshops,
<br /> .
<br /> ,make the affordable housing possible."The se- borhoods program has 550 such as one planned for next
<br /> How to learn more: A small-lot scenario cret,it turns out,isn't squeezing every penny 1 'housing units underway or week in St. Cloud, let folks to
<br /> What:A forum on building better neigh '";`` "; M1. ,,, out of construction costs, but rather I completed. But Hanson said move paper models around to
<br /> #,,,;•-Aea',. 'Ai* ¢ °0 ; developing more compactly. The ri-
<br /> borhoods. -• ; , +u'Fntwe.rGs „°�:._ ,4,F,,,' .,,7,,,;, ° P Y P that 4,000 units of housing are shape a new neighborhood.
<br /> Ckr,t ,r" N, ' ,,,g;;.- vately financed Greater Minnesota
<br /> When:8 a.m.to 3 p.m.Tuesday. New,,,, '_ °,,4,--j o �"=.�, '.' needed in outstate Minnesota Rhoades said that during a
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