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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHousing & Redevelopment Authority Minutes 03-28-2000MINUTES PLYMOUTH HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OUTLOT D SPECIAL MEETING March 28, 2000 PRESENT: Chair Brad Brown, Commissioners Susan Henderson, Leon Michlitsch, Dick Abel ABSENT: Tim Bildsoe STAFF PRESENT: Executive Director Anne Hurlburt, HRA Supervisor Ed Goldsmith, Housing Specialist Rebecca Stoen, Senior Clerk/Typist Barb Peterson, HRA Intern Joe Jablonsky OTHERS PRESENT: Planning Commission Liaison Sarah Reinhardt, Ward 4 Council Member Ginny black 1. CALL TO ORDER A special meeting of the Plymouth Housing and Redevelopment Authority at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church, 5005 Northwest Blvd. was called to order by Chair Brown on March 28, 2000 at 7:05 p.m. Chair Brown shared the vision of the HRA for modest cost housing. He then introduced the Board and Staff. The meeting was then turned over to HRA Supervisor Goldsmith who presented the background and the proposals for Outlot D. Members of the audience asked the following questions: Has the City already acquired the property? No it has not. Who is the present owner? The state now owns the property, under the control of Hennepin County. The City gets first right of refusal and if they do not buy it then the County would put it up for public auction. What is the HRA's dollar investment in the project? It is very minimal so far. If the HRA purchases it from the County there will be costs in designing the homes, etc. How will the HRA choose the people who will live in the homes? It will be based on preferences that would include living or working in Plymouth. Can zoning on a property be changed at any time? Yes, upon application to the City and approval of the City Council. Is this situation the fault of the developer? He chose to provide open space such as this Outlot. The Association was never kept up. The City doesn't know what happened. Why weren't residents notified about the tax forfeiture? The County follows state statutes; notification of neighboring property owners or members of a homeowners association is not required. The County does not notify the City until the forfeiture process is completed. Why are we considering this when green space has been so important to the City? The City does have an aggressive green space plan and the City has identified open space to be preserved. This property is not included in the plan. Affordable housing is also a great need and important to the City. Plymouth Housing and Redevelopment Authority March 16, 2000 Page 9 What are options for this Outlot other than building homes on it? Parks are not interested in the property because they have a park not far from the site and this property does not meet City park standards. Can the homeowners still form an association? It would be very difficult to do it after the fact. Legally it is very hard to do. Can't the City buy the land and divide it between the neighbors. Under state statutes the County can only do this if the land can not be developed. This Outlot can be developed. The City can only acquire the property from the County for a legally defined "public purpose". How can the homeowners stop this and get their land back? State statute does not appear to have a procedure to undo a tax forfeiture in these circumstances. The County should be contacted and legal counsel may be needed. Why was the County not represented at this meeting? The purpose of this meeting was to discuss the HRA proposal. What will happen to the strip of land that is not included in the buildable portion? The HRA has not included it in the proposal. It could be split between the two neighbors. When land goes up for public auction do homeowners have first bid? Only if the land is not developable, after the City considers it. Did the County say the land could not be developed? Homeowner had e-mail from Laurie Ahrens stating this was the case. We don't know the basis for this statement. Can a damage deposit be required for improper drainage on certain properties? There was concern about existing erosion becoming a larger problem with more development. The HRA would look at the drainage problem if we go ahead with the project. Can access to assessment records be had? Assessed values are available on the Hennepin County Web Site. HRA Supervisor Goldsmith pointed out where the lower assessed homes are located. Associations were discussed but their association does not legally exist. Annual reports were not filed with the Secretary of State as required by law. The Association was statutorily dissolved. The City is not involved in any homeowner association. A question was asked about how trees would be removed from a neighbor's property without being able to use the Outlot as an access? It was explained that the Outlot is not supposed to be used for that purpose. Values of homes in the area were discussed and most felt the value of their home would go down. They said they paid more for their homes because of the Outlot open space. They want the land to remain empty. They want the HRA to provide them with assessed values of houses in the area. When will this project happen? If the HRA goes forward with 4-5 homes, rezoning would be necessary. Plans would need to be prepared, title work done. Rezoning takes at least 90-120 days. It would probably not happen this year. 0 Would City cover losses if values go down? No. Plymouth Housing and Redevelopment Authority March 16, 2000 Page 10 How much will the County charge the HRA for the land? The minimum price is $40,000 plus other County costs. Subsidized housing was questioned and how many people would live in a house. They will be paying their own mortgages and their incomes could range from the mid $20,000's to $60,000 depending upon family size. The HRA programs required people to pay back any subsidies at the time they sell the property. The HRA could apply occupancy standards in selecting buyers, but there are no laws regulating the number of "family members" in a home. What is the quota for affordable housing in Plymouth? There is none. Is it worth it to get 4 or 5 new families and make 30-40 mad? How would we require people to keep up their property? We would place restrictions on the use and upkeep of the property similar to the ones established for homeowners associations. Where are there HRA homes that people can look at in the City? There are sites scattered throughout the City but for privacy reasons we cannot disclose the locations. Questions were asked regarding the pond near the property. Some are afraid they are losing it now and something needs to be done. The HRA will refer this to the City Engineer. A suggestion was to build 2-3 houses rather than 5-6. The training for the homebuyers was questioned as to why people would need this if they are qualified to own a house. The training would be for first time homeowners to familiarize them with the requirements of homeownership. Why can't the outlot be given to the Park Department and remain undeveloped? The City would become responsible for maintenance of the property. Will the homes have decent lots or do we plan to flatten all the land. The hillside will remain and every effort will be made to retain the existing contours of the land. How will the homeowners be able to afford maintenance costs? Does the HRA help with that as well? The mortgage company takes this into consideration when calculating the families' total housing costs. The HRA also has home repair and rehabilitation assistance for qualifying homeowners anywhere in the City. The next meeting will be April 13 at 7:00pm in the Council Chamber at City Hall. All HRA meetings are open to the public. Meeting adjourned at 9:15pm.