7.4 SR 06-01-2020 - Laserfiche WebLink

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From: Ijaz Osman Sent: Monday, June 01, 2020 11:37 AM To: 'jennifer.wagner@elkrivermn.gov' Subject: Proposed project and other concerns Hi Jennifer, I'm writing in regards to a proposed affordable housing project on 175th and Twin Lake Rd. I have concerns about the project that should be addressed or considered. I trust you will forward this on to the other council members and mayor for review. Thanks for your consideration and taking the time to hear us out. 1. The developer is asking for a $810k TIF. From what I understand, a TIF is intended to stimulate private investment with a blighted area that has been designated to be in need of economic revitalization. Our neighborhood and the surrounding areas are not blighted. In fact, the businesses across the street are beautiful, and the Park Point homes, homes on 175t", and the housing around the train station are well maintained and kept up. With the TIF, you city won't be able to raise taxes on the property, or collect those taxes that will be benefit the city. The city will incur a loss through forgone tax revenue because it will be paid to the developer to pay off the loan for many years to come. With the recent large spike in property taxes this year, residents have zero appetite for more increases or bank rolling private businesses, and it's just not fair that we continue to carry the burden of tax increases in which a TIF property will not help because that money will be used to pay off their loan, especially in one of the worst economic declines not seen in a very long time. In light of the city's hesitation on the highway 12 million dollar ask that the county says is a safety concern, that the nearly million dollar ask by this private developer would demand way more hesitations. I may not understand the TIF fully, but I think you understand what I'm getting at. We don't know if we have the "piggy bank" as Council Member Westgaard had said recently. 2. The apartment design is all black and a designed to be two rectangles, which is unattractive and industrial looking. The city has done a great job of maintaining Twin Lakes by planting trees, attracting nice businesses that maintain their landscape, the sidewalks look nice, the litter is picked up, and it's mowed nicely. It's important to keep that image, and the design of this particular project doesn't seem to fit what the city has been doing for an image. It should be designed to look more residential than like a business. The other two affordable housing buildings nearby and the senior living nearby are all attractive units. This is not attractive at all. 3. A little over 1000 feet away from this proposal are two affordable housing units already. Coachman Ridge and The Depot, each with 53+ units, and now we're adding a third in an area with 55+ units. I question why are we concentrating so many units in one area? Why does this part of Elk River need to be the hub for this kind of housing? These projects should be spread out throughout Elk River and Sherburne county. They should also be built within walking distance or within a third of mile of amenities such as convenience stores and other shops. There are arguments for and against affordable housing, and it's value to the community. While there's no solid evidence either way, there's a potential that it would devalue our homes, especially if there's a high concentration of them in one area. I'm just stating a possible concern here, because we don't know for sure, and so it's a concern for us.