The $20 million project would have
brought 137 units to 10 acres near Hermantown City Hall.
HERMANTOWN –
On paper, Tuesday night’s debate was about a senior housing complex.
For
the 100-plus people who packed the Hermantown City Council chambers, it was
about the heart and soul of the community.
“Ask,
is this right for Hermantown?” said fourth-generation resident Matt Johnson.
“Approving this development as it currently is drawn will set a dangerous
precedent.”
The
council voted down a development plan for a four-story, 103-unit senior living
complex, 16 townhouse units plus 18 single-family homes all on a 10-acre lot
just across the road from City Hall.
Mayor
Wayne Boucher, in casting the deciding vote against the $20 million
development, said he wasn’t closing the door on it forever. But because of the
project’s height and density, he said no for now.
“Growth
is painful. The prospect of change sometimes brings out fear in people,” he
said. “There is room for compromise here. I don’t think anyone is against
senior housing or mixed housing.”
The
proposal called for 18 memory care units and 25 assisted living units, with all
but the single-family homes reserved for residents 55 and up. About 250
residents were anticipated in total.
Developer
James Talago of James Patrick Homes said he intends to revisit the proposal.
“It’s
a shame they tabled this with such a shortage in the market,” he said.
The
number of St. Louis County residents 55 and older grew nearly 10% in the past
five years, according to the Minnesota State Demographic Center. Between now
and 2030, their ranks could grow another 5% with an especially marked increase
in those 85 and older.
The
total population of the county is projected to shrink slightly in that time.
The
Department of Housing and Urban Development said as the number of elderly
Americans grows, so will the number living with disability or illness.
“The
current U.S. housing stock is ill-equipped to meet the needs of this
population,” according to a federal report.
Some
residents, and a representative from a competing senior living facility, argued
there are ample options available locally and that in-home health care will be
part of the answer.
Others
argued there is not a trained workforce available to safely support assisted
living.
Still
others said the building would be an eyesore, that it would increase traffic,
that it would strain emergency services, that it doesn’t fit the rural
character of that part of town, and that it would be a better fit closer to the
city’s commercial corridor along Highway 53.
The
city would not have provided any direct incentives or financial assistance, and
the development was expected to bring in $110,000 in taxes for the city and
$100,000 for the school district every year.
Council
members all said they supported the goals of the project but, as the 3-2 vote
proved, not its design.
“I
am all for this development, I am all for mixed development on this site, but I
think this is too much on the site,” said council member Kristi Schmidt, who
voted against the development alongside council member Gloria Nelson and
Boucher.
Much
of the room broke out in applause after the vote.
While
walking out of City Hall after more than two hours at the meeting, one resident
mused: “This is what democracy looks like.”
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