Housing complex closer to reality

By Danielle Strenke
Seniors and empty-nesters may have new housing available to them in the Harris area.
After months of meetings with the Harris City Council and Planning Commission, developers moved one step closer to a 24-unit housing development last week.
At its regular meeting Oct. 2, the Harris City Council approved the preliminary plat for multi-unit housing proposed by developers Harry Behling and Jerry Triden.
The approval comes after the two had attended several planning commission and council meetings this year to iron out differences in the proposed development plan.
Members of the planning commission and council voiced several concerns over the proposal, including safe access for fire and emergency vehicles and on-street parking.
Triden attended the council meeting to request preliminary plat approval. The planning commission recommended approval at its last meeting.
Triden told the council that sprinklers had been added to 12 of the 24 units after Fire Chief John Pelant and members of the council requested the inclusion.
ìWe added the sprinklers to those outside units that cannot be reached on the back side by fire trucks,î Triden said.
Triden said he and Behling had conformed the development plans to include all of the recommendations from the planning commission and the council.
Members of the council discussed whether all the units should be sprinklered, particularly because the development will be marketed as senior housing.
ìIíd like to see all the units sprinklered,î councilor Don Cardinal said.
The council and Mayor Richard Hanson had previously questioned whether the development would indeed be solely for senior living. ìYou have two- and three-bedroom units for senior housing,î Hanson said.
ìIs it going to be senior housing?î councilor Wayne Buisman asked.
Triden said it would be marketed for seniors and empty-nesters, as it would appeal to them because of maintenance-free condominium living.
ìI donít think you can discriminate by saying you canít live here with kids,î Triden said. ìThere is going to be a covenant on the development,î he added.
City Attorney Kevin Shoeberg said he believed it can be stated in the covenant that the housing will be sold specifically for senior living.
The council approved the preliminary plat with five contingencies: 1) each unit must be sprinklered, 2) installation of in-floor heating systems on the main floors, 3) rezoning of the development from R2 to R1, 4) installation of a foam layer under the slab and 5) approval from the city engineer, following compliance with his recommendations.
City Engineer Chuck Schwartz said he felt that Triden and Behling had supported his recommendations and made appropriate changes.
Triden added that they had developed a landscape plan, per request from the planning commission and were not opposed to painting a crosswalk to the park area within the development.
ìWe will also provide an easement along the ditch, whatever is agreed upon,î he said.
Income survey results
Results from an income survey of residents within the platted area of Harris showed that the median income of residents exceeds the maximum amount for the city to qualify for a grant from the Office of Rural Development.
Schwartz had recommended applying for the grant to offset some of the costs on an estimated $1.2 million water treatment plant the city is required to build by the end of 2007.
A public hearing to discuss funding applications for the project and how the income survey will be included will be Thursday, Oct. 23 at 6 p.m. at Harris City Hall.
At its September meeting, the council discussed concerns over the amount of office time and money to mail minutes both by regular mail and electronically to a growing list of residents who requested them.
City Clerk Kim Hugger checked with the League of Minnesota Cities and advised the council that it was legal to charge residents for this service.
After several complaints from residents over the possibility of being charged for copies of meeting minutes, the council decided against charging any fees for the service.

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