The Mahtomedi City Council and Planning Commission debated how to develop a 5-acre area near Century College. Two options were proposed: senior housing for aging residents or high-density townhomes to attract young families. Opinion was divided on the best approach, with some believing senior housing would free up existing homes for families while others felt young families were needed to support the community. The city planned further study on development density and financing options before deciding on a plan.

1. 11/23/2014 Senior versus family housing near Century College debated ­Your
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Senior versus family housing near Century College debated
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Posted: Wednesday, May 28, 2014 8:15 am | Updated: 9:22 am, Wed May 28, 2014.
by Louise Ernewein/Contributing Writer |
MAHTOMEDI — The future of a 5­acre
area in the city could come down to a battle of the generations: Boomers vs. Millennials.
The area in question consists of land to the east of Century Avenue/Highway 120, north of the Lincoln Square Shopping Center and south of
Century College.
Since 2002 or so, the Mahtomedi City Council has had in mind to develop the land as a mixed­use
development, with retail and office space
at ground level and housing above.
But at a joint work session involving the City Council and Planning Commission on May 20, City Planner Kelsey Johnson dashed any
remaining hopes of the mixed use development approach.
“We have reached out to a number of developers,” she said. “Commercial brokers weren’t necessarily interested in this property. It was too
small or too large, depending on the broker.”
In contrast, she told council and commissioners, two specific types of developers had shown an interest: those who would construct senior
housing for the city’s aging population, and those who would target younger families keen to move into Mahtomedi’s school district by
building high­density
townhomes.
“I would much rather see us plan to attract young families, I really would,” said Planning Commissioner Susan Stewart. “I don’t see how our
city is going to survive without young families.”
But opinion was divided among the other council and commission members present. Some expressed the belief that building apartments for
seniors would free up single­family
homes throughout Mahtomedi for younger families to occupy.
“I get emails saying, ‘We are living in my parents’ basement so my kids can go to school here,’” said Mayor Judson Marshall. He added:
“After we lost the [school] levy [in the last election], I had two people after me to say, ‘You are filling the town up with old people who vote
against the levy because they don’t want their taxes to go up.’”
After hearing that developers had emphasized the need for higher­density
construction than currently permitted under Mahtomedi city code,
the City Council and Planning Commission gave the green light to Johnson to work on a study examining site density feasibility, the level of
assistance needed by a developer to bring any project to fruition, and the types of financing available.
In a further twist, the ownership of the land in question is currently split between five private homeowners, a foreclosure property
repossessed by U.S. Bank, the city of Mahtomedi and developer Bruggeman & Properties LLC. Any future development would require
negotiations with the various landowners.
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2. 11/23/2014 Senior versus family housing near Century College debated ­Your
local online newspaper: News
In other council action May 20, the council:
• Council members approved a resolution to hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 15 to consider the creation of a tax increment
financing (TIF) district to provide financial assistance for the Piccadilly Square Senior Housing Development on the site of the former
Piccadilly restaurant at Wildwood Road and Stillwater Road. If approved, the additional tax income created by the development within the
TIF district, estimated at $670,000, would be paid to the developer over the 25­year
life span of the agreement. “Fundamentally, it’s a way
of trying to break down the barrier of the additional costs associated with development,” explained Nick Anhut of Ehlers, advising the city
council that to qualify for TIF funding, the development — which includes accommodation for low­and
very low­income
seniors — needed
to meet a “but­for”
test: “The development is only possible but for the use of the tax increment.”
• Heard from resident Lynn Schultz, who lives in the city’s Historic District, of her concern at the number of trees marked with white Xs,
apparently slated for removal as part of the pending street improvement project. City Engineer Jay Kennedy offered to meet with her and
neighbors to reassess the trees in question, a step he had recently taken with residents in another area.
• Approved the awarding of a contract for the 2014 street improvement project (Woodland Drive and Northwest Area and fire station
parking lot) to T. A. Schifsky and Sons Inc. of North St. Paul, in the amount of $831,000.
• Approved the 2014 recycling grant agreement with Washington County, for just under $16,000, to be used for recycling program expenses.
• Approved a 90­day
leave of absence request for assistant fire chief Sarah Tubbs.
• Heard that the first facilitated neighborhood meeting investigating options for the Briarwood area improvement project had been scheduled
for June 4.
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