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TCAAP continued from page 1
<br />or restrict the development of
<br />affordable housing.
<br />Once the zoning is established it is
<br />up to the developers to design and
<br />build projects, some of which may
<br />or may not be affordable, but that
<br />decision is not made by the City. It
<br />is also up to the developer to decide
<br />how the affordable housing will
<br />be paid for. Like in the rest of the
<br />City, there is nothing prohibiting
<br />affordable housing on TCAAP.
<br />Outside of TCAAP, the City
<br />already has a significant amount of
<br />affordable housing; approximately
<br />forty-three percent of the City’s
<br />housing stock is affordable per
<br />the Metropolitan Council housing
<br />standards.
<br />Tax and other incentives
<br />In some circumstances, a developer
<br />requests that a city contribute to
<br />the cost of affordable housing
<br />through tax and other incentives.
<br />However, from the beginning of
<br />the TCAAP development, the City
<br />of Arden Hills has made it clear
<br />that it will strive to not increase
<br />the tax burden of the current
<br />residents of Arden Hills with
<br />the costs of developing TCAAP.
<br />With its financial constraints and
<br />expectations to provide other
<br />services such as police, fire, snow
<br />plowing, roads, road maintenance,
<br />parks and recreation and a myriad
<br />of other services, the city does not
<br />have additional funds available for
<br />tax incentives to the developers
<br />unless it were to risk a significant
<br />additional tax burden on current
<br />residents.
<br />TCAAP will not be a "cash cow"
<br />The TCAAP development will not
<br />be a “cash cow” for Arden Hills; the
<br />increased taxes the City will receive
<br />from the TCAAP development
<br />will be used to provide the needed
<br />services for that area.
<br />Ford site comparison
<br />A comparison commonly made to
<br />TCAAP is the former Ford site in
<br />St. Paul, where TCAAP is planned
<br />for 1,460 units and the Ford site
<br />is estimated between 2,400 and
<br />4,000 units. A city the size of St.
<br />Paul, at 308,000 residents, has
<br />more tax capacity and resources
<br />to finance a development like the
<br />Ford site with greater density and
<br />affordable housing demands than
<br />Arden Hills, at 9,900 residents.
<br />The Ford site generates property
<br />tax revenues for St. Paul and has
<br />for years, even though it is not
<br />yet built out. These revenues can
<br />offset the costs of development.
<br />Property taxes will not be collected
<br />on the TCAAP site until the site is
<br />developed. Therefore, TCAAP has
<br />nothing coming in to help support
<br />development of affordable housing
<br />or higher density. The Ford site will
<br />require less investment by St. Paul
<br />in terms of infrastructure which is
<br />already in place, such as sewer and
<br />water and a well-functioning public
<br />transit system. The TCAAP site
<br />does not currently have sewer and
<br />water on the site or public transit
<br />options. The Metropolitan Council,
<br />which oversees public transit,
<br />does not have any plans to greatly
<br />increase public transit to TCAAP,
<br />either.
<br />City wants sustainable project
<br />The City of Arden Hills is
<br />committed to ensuring TCAAP is
<br />a viable and sustainable project,
<br />but significantly changing a well-
<br />thought-out plan at the last minute
<br />risks the long-term success of the
<br />project. That is a risk the Arden
<br />Hills residents should not have to
<br />take.
<br />If you are ready to get started
<br />on a home improvement
<br />project this spring, be aware
<br />most projects require permits
<br />from the city before work
<br />begins. These projects must be
<br />inspected when completed to
<br />make sure that the minimum
<br />standards are met.
<br />Projects that require a permit
<br />include: accessory buildings
<br />or sheds, decks, gas or wood
<br />fireplaces, fences, replacement
<br />water heaters, furnaces, air
<br />conditioners, windows and
<br />egress windows, siding,
<br />roofing, driveways, insulation,
<br />in-ground swimming pools;
<br />and any interior remodels that
<br />involve demolishing, opening
<br />up walls, or moving or building
<br />walls.
<br />Visit cityofardenhills.org and
<br />click on the Get A Permit button
<br />to learn more about how to
<br />obtain a permit or call City Hall
<br />staff at 651-792-7800. City Hall
<br />is closed to the public, but staff
<br />are available by phone or email.
<br />Please maintain social
<br />distancing of 6 feet apart from
<br />others and pick up your dogs’
<br />messes when using city trails,
<br />parks and sidewalks. Pets must
<br />be leashed at all times. Pets
<br />are required to be licensed
<br />by the city. This helps track
<br />them if they are running loose
<br />or lost. For information, visit
<br />cityofardenhills.org and search
<br />for pet licenses. Thank you for
<br />keeping our parks and trails
<br />enjoyable for all.
<br />Home Improvement
<br />Projects Require a Permit
<br />Parks, Trails & Pet Rules
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