04/04/1979 P&Z Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Page -2- April 4, 1979 smaller houses in this City then this an an ordinance change. It is not a special deal here and a special deal over there. Mr. Shearen noted that at_the last P & Z meetingiit was suggested that this be set up as an experimental bases. Maybe this is not possible. Mr. McLean said it is the wrong way to go. You are eroding your ordinance stucture. Mr. Rehbein said he was not trying to erode the ordinances. He noted that the Metro guide- lines does not suggest that the entire City be opened to smaller lot and house sizes. Do it by spot zoning. Really what you are doing then is rezoning'this property. Mr. McLean said we do not have a zoning for this kind of thing. Mr. Reinert was not sure what the attorney has stated and asked Mr. Locher to repeat his previous statements. Mr. Locher said he would research these questions. Mr. McLean in- trepreted the Metro Council position as dispersing the smaller houses with the larger houses not just make a street of mailer houses. Mr. Short presented his intrepretation of Metro guidelines. Mr. Reinert asked Mr. Short if he agreed with the Attorney that with this sort of development that you do tend to get a "slum" type development. Mr. Short said he did not agree with the word "slum" but lower cost housing especially if there is no garages generate more outdoor storage. He noted Circle Pines situation and felt no, it did not necessarily create "slums". He pointed out restrictive covenants and other things to help from giving a slum appearance. Mr. Rehbein pointed out the Brooklyn Center situation near the Howe Fertizler Plant. Not one of the houses are 1,000 sq. ft. yet it is a real neat community. He pointed out Bloom- ington lowered their standard to 77 sq. ft., White Bear Lake lot size is 7,200 sq. ft, Maple Grove, 7,200 sq. ft. Shoreview, 10,400 sq. ft. Mr. Rehbein objected to the word "slum" on low income housing. Mr. Reinert said he should not have used the word "slum". Mr. Rehbein told the Board he took the Building Inspector to inspect the factory built home in March. He explained how he planned to build these homes to preserve their appearance. Mr. Zelinka said he resented the word "slum" being applied to smaller houses. He noted he lives in the Lakeview area where the houses are small. He said he would rather see a smaller home that is well built with good material than a larger home that is built just to get by. The Lakeview area was designed to be a "slum" area but because the people were proud of their homes it developed into a nice area. They have been inproved. He said he resented the idea that lower cost housing would bring in slim people. He also noted that requiring people to build larger $50,000, $60,000 homes was also discriminatory. In regard to garages, he told the Board he has a garage that is totally insulated and heated but has rately had a car in it in the last five years. Mr. McLean asked what is the difference between the home Mr. Rehbein is planning to build and a Wausau home. Mr. Rehbein siad this is a regular stick house built in one piece, Wausau is panaled and not always built of full deminsion lumber. Mr. Rehbein told of the factory he has visited and taken finance people to inspect as well as other people who agree this is a first class house. He showed the Board pictures of the model homes. Mr. Kulaszewicz asked about the cost of the home. Mr. Rehbein said the price he quoted is for a full house on a basement with sewered and fully sodded lot. He noted some homes he saw built about 1948 and they are still nice homes. Mr. Rehbein explained the high cost of homes is due to sub contractors cuts, he will eliminate all subcontractors, there is no waste, no stealing off of the property and no weather problems. Mr. Reinert asked the cost per sq. ft. at the present time if you were to ask a contractor to build a home for you. Mr. Shearen said about $60.00 including the lot. Mr. Rehbein said