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__________________________________________________________________________ <br /> <br />City of Arden Hills ▪1245 West Highway 96 ▪ Arden Hills Minnesota 55112 <br /> <br />Phone 651.792.7800 ▪ Fax 651.634.5137 ▪ www.cityofardenhills.org <br /> <br /> <br />March 10, 2016 <br /> <br />Ms. Irene Kao, Intergovernmental Relations Counsel VIA EMAIL: ikao@lmc.org <br />League of Minnesota Cities <br />145 University Avenue West <br />Saint Paul, MN 55103-2044 <br /> <br />RE: HR 2497 Zoning of Temporary Family Health Care Dwellings <br /> <br />Dear Ms. Kao, <br /> <br />The City of Arden Hills has reviewed the proposed HR 2497 bill that would require cities to allow <br />temporary family health care dwellings as a permitted accessory use. The City has several concerns with <br />the bill as drafted, including: <br /> <br /> The City currently prohibits the use of temporary accessory structures as dwellings, except that <br />the City Council may grant a permit for the use of a temporary structure as a dwelling for a period <br />not to exceed 90 days when an emergency or hardship situation exists. The bill impacts cities’ <br />authority to regulate temporary accessory structures as dwellings through local zoning. <br /> <br /> General health, safety, and welfare should be a priority for all residents. The City requires all <br />residential units to be compliant with State Building Codes, but we do not believe it would be <br />possible for these units to meet those standards. <br /> <br /> We are concerned about the feasibility of safe, temporary connections to local sewer lines and the <br />process for enforcement and mitigation if there were a failure in the temporary connection. Also, <br />additional impervious coverage may affect drainage patterns and impact neighboring properties. <br /> <br /> Although the units are referred to as temporary dwellings, the bill allows for annual renewal in <br />perpetuity. Without additional language in the bill these structures could become permanent <br />fixtures within a neighborhood, with potentially negative effects on surrounding properties. <br /> <br /> By allowing this type of temporary dwelling unit the City would be required to take on ad ditional <br />enforcement and inspections. Further, the City could face an expensive legal process to have the <br />unit removed if the City were to revoke a permit for any reason allowed under the State law. <br /> <br />Thank you for providing us with an opportunity to comment on the proposed HR 2497 bill regarding <br />temporary family health care dwellings. Please feel free to contact me at 651-792-7819 or at <br />jhutmacher@cityofardenhills.org with any questions. <br /> <br />Sincerely, <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Jill Hutmacher <br />Community Development Director