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<br />As explained above, unless the City of Roseville receives an appropriate level of public funding <br />for an active remediation of the property, the property will sit vacant for many years. During this <br />time period, Roseville would a substantial sum in property taxes, and would likely need to invest <br />more time and energy in municipal resources keeping the neighborhood safe from the negative <br />impacts that follow vacant buildings. <br /> <br />The project has also been designed to provide much-needed affordable housing in the City of <br />Roseville. Mounds View School District and the developers they are working with, Moser <br />Homes, Inc. and Zawadski Homes, Inc. (who plan to form "Parkside Additions, LLC" for this <br />project), have been working to finalize an innovative affordable housing plan that includes a <br />partnership with Rondo Community Land Trust. Greg Finzell, Executive Director of Rondo, <br />encourages and endorses the plan. The framework of the plan is as follows: Mounds View <br />School District and Parkside Additions will jointly donate two lots to Rondo. Following the <br />donation, Parkside Additions will build a home on each lot consistent with the design, quality, <br />and performance standards for the development as a whole. Parkside Additions will sell the two <br />homes to Rondo for no more than the cost of construction (to be agreed upon by the three parties <br />prior to construction of the homes). Finally, Rondo, consistent with its mission, will sell the two <br />homes to eligible and deserving low- to moderate-income families for a price between $150,000 <br />and $175,000 and execute a 99-year ground lease with the families. <br /> <br />As noted, this is an innovative partnership for all parties involved. Rondo was recently asked, <br />and agreed in May 2006, to expand its services to all of Ramsey County. Land trusts are a <br />practical tool to keep housing affordable in neighborhoods that have historically contained little <br />to no affordable housing. Affordable housing opportunities are not very accessible in suburban <br />Ramsey County; only a few nonprofit developers are working in the suburban communities. <br />Ramsey County recognized the need for affordable housing in locations outside of the City of St. <br />Paul and asked Rondo to consider expansion. Research conducted by Rondo to verify this need <br />indicated that there are a large number of households in suburban Ramsey County communities <br />that would benefit from affordable housing options. The City of Roseville would like the <br />Metropolitan Council to join in its endeavor to be a part of one of the first suburban community <br />land trust projects in Ramsey County. <br /> <br />Mounds View Independent School District has been working diligently with Minnesota Pollution <br />Control Agency, its environmental consultants, the developers, and now the various funding <br />sources to make revitalization of its property a reality. The project is destined to succeed if <br />funding is received. <br /> <br />Thank you for your consideration. Please feel free to call me or Daniel Colton from Leonard, <br />Street and Deinard at 612-335-1836 if you have any questions or require additional information. <br /> <br />Sincerely, <br /> <br />Cit;J;z /<. ~ <br /> <br />Chris Miller <br />Interim City Manager <br />