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A request by the Cook County Housing and Redevelopment Authority (H.R.A.) to have approximately 12 acres of land in Creechville rezoned for residential brought out supporters and concerned citizens opposed to the proposal. All of them got a chance to speak at the Grand Marais Planning Commission meeting held on Wednesday, February 15.
The City of Grand Marais sold the property recently to the H.R.A. for one dollar with the caveat that if something isn’t built on the land within the next six years, the land will be returned to the city.
Michael Garry, board chair, Anton Moody, Stacey Hawkins, Ben Peters, and Brandon Bachelor are on the Planning Commission and all were in attendance at the meeting.
Steve Surbaugh, a member of the E.D.A., said three surveys over the last 35 years point to a need to build more housing in the county. If we don’t support this rezoning; we are wasting both time and resources,” he told the board.
Local business owner Eric Humphrey was in support of the rezoning. “As everyone knows, we need more housing,” said Humphrey, saying it was difficult to find workers because they lack places to live.
Gail Anderson has lived in Creechville for eight years. She opposed rezoning the land for a number of reasons, but a main one was because if a large apartment building was erected there, it would sit along a dangerous intersection. “It’s a blind curve, and people speed through there. I’m concerned about children crossing there.” She also noted jake breaking from trucks coming down the Gunflint Trail. “Trucks start jake breaking around Pincushion.” In the summer, residents would have to keep their windows closed to mute the sound of the jake breaking she said.
Cook County Commissioner Board Chair Ann Sullivan said she was at the meeting to support the rezoning proposal. Ann said her son moved to Grand Marais in his 30s, has lived here for ten years, and has been looking for affordable housing for a decade.
With some humor Cook County Administrator James Joerke said, “News flash, we need more housing. The absence of affordable housing is what keeps people from landing here.”
Linda Jurek, Executive Director for the Chamber of Commerce, said it is a priority of the chamber to work with the Minnesota legislature to get funding for more housing in the county. But, as much as she favored the zoning change, she said, “I’m very much interested in what Gail said. Those were some interesting questions that need to be addressed.”
Mary Somnis, chair of the H.R.A. board, strongly supported the proposed zoning change. Mary commented on a recent study that said the county needs 500 to 600 additional housing units to fill the shortage.
Chris O’Brien serves on the H.R.A. board and added that the housing shortage in Cook County was a critical need to fill. But he noted that there were a lot of headwinds with rising interest rates, labor shortages, etc., in the way of developing housing here. He also said that as a commissioner on the H.R.A. board, he would ensure safety and environmental concerns would be reviewed before anything is built on the property.
I.S.D. 166 Superintendent Chris Lindholm and the school board have been talking with H.R.A. Director Jason Hale about utilizing 26 acres the school owns to be used to build housing. He said the school has been “running for two years without being able to fill some jobs at the school” because interested applicants can’t find a place to live. He noted that if the school district and H.R.A. work a deal for housing to be built on school property, “I will be the only superintendent in the state that is also a landlord.”
Mark, a longtime Creechville resident, spoke in opposition to the zoning request. He said much of the 12 acres was marshland, and the hillside hydrology would be degraded if a large building was put up, causing issues with flooding. “I understand the need for more housing for families,” he said. “But the sewer system is brand new and can’t handle what we have now.” Like Gail Anderson he noted the problem with people driving too fast, “If this goes ahead, it’s not pedestrian friendly. It’s a dangerous section of road. I guarantee there will be problems. I hate to be a “not in my backyard” but let’s be smart about the solution,” to building more housing.
Cook County Commissioner David Mills owns several parcels of land in Creechville and lived there for several years. “I still have PTSD from trying to get my daughter asleep with all of the jake breaking going on,” he said. Still, Mills said the issue was about rezoning rather than about what might be built on the land. “The neighbors in Creechville are raising a lot of concerns that need to be addressed. But the issue tonight is about rezoning,” he said, adding he didn’t think anything would be done irresponsibly or without a lot of thought before any development was built.
Doug and Mary Sanders wrote a letter of support and asked the planning commission to vote yes, noting that as they understood it, a portion of the apartments would be rented as affordable housing.
Grand Marais Fire Chief Ben Silence wrote a letter read by Ben Peters. Silence asked a series of questions about who would install fire hydrants; would there be adequate water pressure to fight a fire? Who would pay for the infrastructure needed for firefighting or would the trucks have to have enough water to fight a fire?
A couple living in Creechville said the property is currently zoned correctly, and no change should be made. A large building on the land would degrade the hillside, and light pollution might be an issue. The neighborhood’s aesthetic and quality of life would be hurt by overdevelopment, they stated in their letter.
H.R.A. Director Jason Hale was in the room and asked to speak. He came forward and talked about rumors going around. It’s not Section 8 housing, nor is the proposal to build more elderly housing, he said. What’s being looked at is putting a 50-unit workforce housing building rented at market rates. He said some apartments might be available to people with Section 8 vouchers. But, until the snow goes, “We can’t know what can be built there.”
After the public comments, the board discussed some of the concerns they heard. Michael Garry said the Planning Commission has been working for the last several years to reduce the barriers to adding new housing to the city.
Stacey Hawkins noted that all the board was being asked to do was to change the zoning to residential. Nothing else, and she called for a motion to accept the zoning change. Ben Peters seconded the motion, but he agreed with the people who live in Creechville who have concerns about what might be built in their neighborhood, “It’s going to be a tough conversation,” he said.
Anton Moody lives in Creechville, and he understands his neighbors’ concerns. Still, he said density is a crucial solution to affordability. Adding, “unfortunately, we can’t figure our way out of this one with five-acre minimums and wells and septic’s,” he said.
When the roll call came all of the commissioners voted for the zoning change.
Now the planning commission’s recommendation will go to the Grand Marais City Council which will vote to accept or reject the recommendation.
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