Proposed rental units has neighbors worried

By Randy Hanson

The developers of 26 acres south of Vine Street and east of Wisconsin Street are headed for a showdown with some of their would-be neighbors.

On Sept. 2, the Hudson Plan Commission is again scheduled to review plans by Kornovich Development Co. for a 168-unit, multiple-family residential community on the site.

A number of residents of the nearby Stonepine, Hunter Hill, High Point and Jacobson's Woods communities are expected to be there to oppose the development.

A Stonepine resident who didn't want to be named said they are concerned because 50 of the units would be rental property.

"The city, if they approve this as it is, would dump these rentals right in the middle of Stonepine and Jacobson's Woods, which are single-family, owner-occupied dwellings," the spokesman said.

"You know how rentals are," the man said.

Meanwhile, Lonnie Kornovich and his partners don't think the opponents of the development know what it would be like.

Richard Bloom of GM Homes Inc. told the Plan Commission at an Aug. 12 meeting that the base price for the townhouses he would build is $130,000 to $150,000. One hundred sixteen of the eight-plex units would be owner occupied, he said. GM Homes would be the builder.

City Planner Dennis Darnold said other townhouses the company has built remind him of the BrightKeys townhouses on Carmichael Road near the St. Croix County Government Center.

Mary T. Inc., based in Coon Rapids, Minn., would manage the 50 rental units. The company also provides health care services to elderly and disabled clients, and would seek to rent the apartments to its clients, Tom Torreson of Mary T. told the Plan Commission.

The plan is to rent the majority of the units to people with disabilities and/or limited incomes, but the units would be available to the general public, too, according to Darnold. A federal tax credit program would assist in financing the construction.

Darnold said he has seen other Mary T.-managed properties at Coon Rapids and Prescott. "Generally, the developments are very neatly maintained," he said.

The Stonepine resident had a different impression. He said people who looked at Mary T.'s Prescott apartments saw clothing hanging on a fence to dry and up to five children living in one apartment.

He said the developers admit that only half of the Hudson apartments would be rented to senior citizens or handicapped people.

"The rest will be rentals to the general public," he said.

The Stonepine resident said a group of 12 to 14 of his neighbors who met recently also had concerns about cars parked on streets and in driveways.

"If they're going to dump 166 units in there with cars parked all over, it's going to look like a used car lot over there I'm afraid," he said. "All this is in the middle of nice, owner-occupied, single-family dwellings that pay very high taxes."

The issue will be on the agenda when the Plan Commission meets at 7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 2, at City Hall.