Developer drops plans for local rental units

By Randy Hanson

People opposed to the construction of rental housing on 26 acres adjacent to St. Patrick's Catholic Church apparently have succeeded in defeating the plan.

Lonnie Kornovich of Kornovich Development Co. confirmed Tuesday that he has withdrawn his request to include 50 rental units on the property.

Instead, he and GM Homes Inc. will ask to build up to 180 owner-occupied townhouse units, he said.

Discussion of Kornovich Development Co.'s latest plans for the site is on the agenda of tonight's (Thursday's) meeting of the Plan Commission, set for 7 p.m. at City Hall. The companies need the city's approval of concept development plans for the property to proceed with the project.

Some neighbors of the property objected when they found out that 50 of 166 townhouse units Kornovich and GM Homes were proposing were going to be rentals.

Mary T. Inc., a company that provides assisted living services to elderly and disabled people, would have managed the rental units. Mary T. would have tried to rent the apartments to its clients, a company representative told the Plan Commission.

Kornovich, who lives in Clear Lake, Minn., said over the phone Tuesday that opposition by both neighbors and members of the Plan Commission is the reason the plans were changed.

He said he has been trying to get approval for the project since spring and it is obvious that some Plan Commission members are dead set against having any rental units on the site.

Kornovich said he was disappointed that Plan Commission members didn't visit other Mary T.-managed properties in the Twin Cities area. They would have found attractive, well-cared-for buildings, he said.

The new proposal is for four-unit and eight-unit townhouses that will be built and sold by GM Homes, he said.

Kornovich said he holds an option to buy and develop the land, which is zoned for multi-family residential use. He said he'll be back with another plan for rental units if the Plan Commission stalls the latest proposal for all owner-occupied units.