The clock is ticking but work should begin sometime this fall on the proposed development of the Birch Grove senior housing project in Tofte, said Community Resource Development (CRD) President Dick Grabko to Tofte supervisors at their May 8, 2014 meeting.
“We have a March 15, 2015 completion date but that is probably optimistic,” Grabko told the board.
CRD has been hired by the township to be its developer representative and will be paid $3,000 per month through October 31, 2014. If its services are needed after that time a contract amendment calls for the town of Tofte to pay a three percent developer fee to CRD. The board also agreed to reimburse CRD employees 56 cents per mile to travel to and from Tofte town meetings.
Tofte is proposing to put 12 senior housing units on land it owns near the Birch Grove Community Center. Dynamic Homes will build the units and put them in place when the infrastructure is completed.
A long time in planning, the goal of this project is to allow West End senior citizens the ability to live in the community after they have come to the point where they can no longer take care of their houses. If all goes as planned, those houses should go on the market and allow younger families the opportunity to buy them and stay in the community.
“These are older homes, not lake homes or spendy vacation homes that would be too expensive for young people in the community to buy them,” Tofte Board Chair Paul James said.
One thing that could hold the project up is results of bore holes that are currently being drilled. “Dynamic Homes needs these bore hole numbers before they can start their planning,” Grabko said.
“Cross your fingers, knock on wood and hopefully they [the engineering firm] find four feet of soil and not eight inches of soil and then bedrock,” said James.
DSGW Architects has been hired to make the preplat casts and come up with the final design for the project.
Funding the housing project
Grabko and his partner Gary Lammpa are currently working with the Iron Range Resource Rehabilitation board (IRRRB) on getting a $245,000 grant for the development. The next IRRRB funding cycle ends October 31, 2014. To date the IRRRB has granted $350,000 for this project.
“What’s the fallback if we don’t get the $245,000 from the IRRRB?” James asked.
“They have typically reduced the amounts requested of them, but we just need to do a good job with our presentation,” Grabko said, adding that he has been told that there seems to be strong support for this project by the IRRRB.
Grabko said it is already time to look at finding a marketing company for the project, and said the township should look at “a pure lease” situation for the houses.
“You need to have a community meeting and get feedback, but you need to have everything pre-approved as far in advance as we can before the building starts,” Grabko said.
The town is contemplating issuing tax-exempt general obligation (G.O.) abatement bonds to finance the 12-unit housing facility. Those documents are being prepared for by Ehlers & Associates. A public meeting will be held at the end of May to discuss the issuance of the bonds and June 12 has been suggested as the date to have an abatement public hearing with the goal of the board adopting the abatement resolution and authorizing the sale of bonds.
Fire training and personnel planning
Fire Chief Rich Nelson said that May 31 has been scheduled for a training day for the Tofte, Schroeder and Lutsen fire departments.
“This is the 14th year in a row that we have done this. It’s a chance for us to get together and learn how to operate each other’s equipment and work together,” Nelson told the board.
Three of his new fire firefighters have recently completed 144 hours of training, said Nelson.
Work continues to find a replacement for Louise Trachta, who has resigned as the rescue squad chief but is staying in her position until a replacement can be found. “Several of us have been getting together to discuss who would make a good replacement,” Nelson said. “Remember, we are all volunteers. Louise is a volunteer who will be hard to replace.”
The board approved purchase of a remote control water nozzle that can be used from the top of a ladder and spray down on a fire, sparing a firefighter taking that risk. “This is a big time safety factor,” Nelson said, thanking supervisors for approving the purchase.
Nelson said the pump in the town park has been plugged by debris from Lake Superior storms. “We plan on pulling it on Tuesday (May 13) and cleaning up the screens and filters,” Nelson said.
Rich’s dad, John Nelson will help with the project. He suggested seeing if the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) can build a little retaining wall in front of the pump.
“This may sound a little far fetched, but maybe the DNR could put up a dock for kayakers that could serve as a retaining wall for the pump. Right now there isn’t room enough down there for kayakers and boaters when they are there at the same time, so it might be something they would consider doing.”
Fire Chief Nelson added, “This is kind of important. We need that pump. We used that pump to help put out the Bluefin fire last summer. We need to get this figured out.”
Birch Grove Foundation setting lease rates
Coralyn Koschinska presented the Birch Grove Foundation budget, set at $75,000 for the next year.
She said the Birch Grove Community School was behind in payments this year, and owed $20,000 to the foundation. “They couldn’t anticipate the very cold winter,” Koschinska said, adding the school also lost several children because parents had moved out of the area. “We have sent them a letter asking how they will pay us.”
Koschinska said the foundation was going to set lease rates and hourly rental rates for space in the community center in the near future, and said that a replacement for business manager Patty Nordahl was being sought. Nordahl, who worked 20 hours per week, resigned her position, but will help out until someone is found to replace her.
“We might split that job into two positions, one for finance and one for maintenance,” said Koschinska.
In other business
. The board approved obtaining liquor liability insurance for the Fire Relief Association July 4 fundraiser. Because of high insurance costs there won’t be any bouncy ball games at the July 4th celebration, but there will be kids activities, said James.
. Once again John Nelson will mow the park, cemetery and Birch Grove Community Center grounds. He will be paid $35 an hour and use his own mower, tractor and truck and pay for gas and transportation costs to move his equipment.
. The board tabled a matter between the township and Joe Sanders relating to his salvage yard after Cook County Commissioner Bruce Martinson presented a court document that said the Sanders had completed enough cleanup to satisfy the original complaint against him. James said he had never seen the document and would like to read it before commenting on it.
. The board also tabled the North Shore Bottle Shop’s request for a change in ownership and name change until its next meeting.
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