Agenda Packets - 2020/07/06 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Discussion: The developer is not requesting public assistance in the form of TIF, abatement, cost participation or other fiscal assistance. The developer is asking for the assessments to be borne by the benefiting properties. The developer has requested from near inception for the City to undertake construction of the street and sewer and water utilities. That request was recently amended to include storm water upon a decision by Rice Creek Watershed to deny the drainage plan component of piping the existing ditch. Rather, the water will need to flow into a storm water retention pond where it can then be treated as it is not in the current configuration. Council has been supportive of this. Council has provided fiscal assistance for the last two housing related developments; MWF and Grey Stone Flats as well as indicating a willingness to do the same for the Skyline Property and Tires N More/Simons Property. Mounds View has very limited single family lot potential being fully developed. The City experiences a small number of tear downs and rebuilds every year, likely as a function of smaller homes built in the 1940’s and 1950’s sitting on heavily wooded “estate” type lots. Long Lake Woods would generate 12 lots which equates to the largest single family development in over a decade – Hidden Hollow being the last (2004). Staff has identified as few as six and as many as 12 other similar projects; infill properties where two to eight lots could be generated. All of them will have complex issues related to storm, right of way partial and full acquisition, and other similar challenges. The Fields property is an example – four lots and efforts have been underway since 2013. Action Item/Decision: 1. Developer (Marty Harstad) is not requesting subsidies, but is requesting that infrastructure costs be assessed to the two non-participating property owners as they benefit. Staff Recommendation: 1. Discussion and decision/direction on appeal. Future Single Family Lot Development Discussion: Much of Mounds View’s housing stock is dated. Mounds View has a need for single- family lots for move-up housing. Otherwise, as household incomes increase, families are more likely to move out of town (Klander family), but stay within the school district. In 2019, 5 single-family homes were constructed in Mounds View. In comparing cities which are predominantly in the Mounds View School District, new single-family homes were constructed in; Arden Hills (3), New Brighton (1), North Oaks (30), and Shoreview (13). The median single-family home value (2020) is: Arden Hills $387,500; Mounds View $250,750; New Brighton $299,300; North Oaks $651,800; and Shoreview $336,450. $268,300 is the median value for suburban Ramsey County. New construction typically starts in the low $400,000. Staff have identified areas of the city for in-fill development. All of these areas have challenges that have deterred developers. If the City wishes to compete with other suburbs for new single-family housing, either the City needs to subsidize development costs, or be content with waiting until market conditions change (e.g. it’s taken 20+ years for Long Lake Woods Second Addition, to get this far). Further discussion on the broader issue of infill development as this project – and- the Fields property, illuminate the substantive challenges of infill. Both have revealed a need to dedicate a workshop to discuss Council desire to assemble a “toolbox” specific