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• • Availability of accessible housing • Quality of local elementary and secondary education • Government services except taxes and tax base • Proximity to other markets Of these characteristics, Rate of population growth, Availability of accessible housing and Proximity to other markets are opportunities for community enhancement. Additionally, the consultant identified the Availability of fully served industrial sites and Utility availability and cost as other opportunities for consideration. Rate of populationrg owth Milaca is one of the communities in Mille Lacs County that has experienced in- migration over the past few years. New housing starts have been steady and growing. The city's location in the corridor between the Twin Cities and the Brainerd Lakes Area is conducive to continued growth. Availability of accessible housing New housing costs are very affordable ranging from $120,000 to $140,000 making them affordable to young families. There is more than adequate supply to meet the growing demand. Milaca is annexing 60 acres to accommodate a 140 . single family and town home development. Similar homes are selling from $10,000 to $15,000 more in Princeton and at least $30,000 more in Elk River. The existing home market is even more affordable. According to 2000 Census the median value of a home in Milaca is $77,700. Comparably the median value for other areas is: Cambridge $100,200 Mille Lacs County $91,000 Princeton $88,400 Sherburne County $137,500 Elk River $144,800 Hennepin County $143,400 St. Cloud $94,300 Proximity to Other Markets Milaca's location on Highways 169 and 23 provides direct access to both the Twin Cities and St. Cloud markets. The city is within 60 miles of Minneapolis- St. Paul, 30 miles from St. Cloud, and approximately 60 miles from the Brainerd Lakes Area. These markets serve as economic pools for Milaca. From these areas Milaca can recruit new businesses, expansions, residents. Conversely, the areas serve as markets for local good and services supporting existing businesses. Availability of fully served and attractive industrial sites The city of Milaca owns 42 acres of land adjacent to Highway 169 and accessible from Highway 23. Road and utilities are available at the edge of the property,but will need to be extended to future building pads. There is no mortgage on the property and the site was recently designated as part of the Job Opportunity Building Zone (JOBZ) for the Region. The combination of the debt free land and JOBZ designation provides a significant advantage over all neighboring Barsness Consulting Services Page 4 12/8/2005