Following a recent meeting between Tofte Supervisors Jeanne Larson and Jim King and the Cook County/Grand Marais Economic Development Authority (EDA) Larson said the township’s planned 12-unit senior housing, if built, will now be open to all potential renters, regardless of age.
Larson, who is the township’s liaison for the housing project, spoke at Tofte’s December 10 meeting.
Planning has been in the works for more than five years to acquire senior housing for Tofte. Township supervisors have long stated it was driven by a desire to see that seniors who have lived in the community throughout their lives have the ability to stay in the community when they are unable to care for their homes any longer, and it was hoped that the homes they moved out of would be sold to younger families needing housing.
Last June the town board elected to adjust the Birch Grove Village Senior Housing Project Schedule when the township failed to win special housing authority from the Minnesota legislature.
The goal was to have Dynamic Homes build six twin patio homes and have them on site and ready for rent by fall 2015, but a special bill crafted by the late Representative David Dill (DFL) and Senator Tom Bakk (DFL) that would have given Tofte the authority to manage the units was stalled in a larger bill that didn’t get passed in the special session.
When asked what had caused the shift away from building senior housing to general housing King said, “The future of projects like this is that we, as a county, need to find a way to work together rather than separately.”
Meanwhile, Larson said until the Minnesota legislature meets in March to take up the Omnibus Jobs and Economic Development Budget bill, everything is on hold.
“The legislature is going to have a short session because they [construction workers] are working on the Capitol building,” said Larson. “Because there is a big surplus this year a tax bill needs to pass so some of that tax money can come back to the citizens. We’re very hopeful this will pass.”
Special legislation is needed for Tofte because Minnesota townships don’t have housing authority as cities or towns do. Under the bill crafted by Bakk and Dill, Tofte will be able to “provide housing for the elderly” and “provide housing for individuals or families with incomes not greater than 120 percent of the median family income as estimated by the United States.”
The bill would allow Tofte the ability to levy but would not “limit the power of the Cook County/Grand Marais Joint Economic Development Authority to exercise jurisdiction within the town of Tofte.”
Most of the money to complete the project will come from sales of a township bond(s) at $1,654,000. Sales of those bonds have been put off until the legislation passes. Tofte has also received $350,000 from the Iron Range Resource Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) for infrastructure and roads for the housing project.
For now, said Larson, Dynamic Homes has been told to hold off on building the six twin patio homes, but added, “The homes are somewhat built.”
“What if the government doesn’t pass the bill? Would we [Tofte township] have to pay Dynamic Homes?” asked Rich Nelson, the township’s fire chief.
“Yes, we would have to pay them and find a way to dispose of the homes,” said King.
In other business, King said no one from Spectrum Homecare had come to inspect potential building sites for an assisted living facility in Tofte.
On November 12, Jon Monacelli, senior vice president of finance, planning and development for Spectrum Homecare, a privately owned, for-profit company, came before the board and asked if there would be any interest in Spectrum building an assisted living facility in Tofte. Spectrum owns and operates seven facilities in the region, including one in Silver Bay.
When asked what would be expected from Tofte, Monacelli said, “We look for land in exchange for some jobs. We also need some help applying for grants for infrastructure.” Supervisors Paul James, Jeanne Larson and Jim King said land could potentially be made available on the 29-acre Birch Grove property. Monacelli said he would be back the next week with his boss to walk the land with James or King, but never showed up, King said.
“I guess he got busy with the holidays coming up. But as far as I know, they are still interested,” he said.
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