Neighborhood's Affordable Housing Development Fears Unfounded, Officials Say

Dakota County Community Development Agency officials and Eagan City Council members did their best Tuesday night to assuage the fears of a group of Lemay Lake residents worried about a 50-unit affordable housing facility proposed for the area.

Neighbors living near the proposed site of the workforce housing facility expressed concerns over the increased traffic, crime and crowding the project could bring to the neighborhood.

In the end, the council voted unanimously to move forward with the project; approving rezoning, a site plan and final platting for the development, which will be located at 1319 Jurdy Road.

The complex, which would be developed and operated by the CDA, is part of the agency's Family Townhome Program. The program is designed for moderate-income families with children 18 years old or younger that can provide good landlord and credit references and pass a criminal history check. Under the program guidelines, applicants must also meet minimum and maximum income requirements.

Construction on the project would likely begin next summer, with a tentative completion date set for 2015. The agency has .

At the meeting, area residents complained about the volume of affordable housing projects underway in Eagan, and pleaded with the council to give the neighborhood more time to evaluate the impact of the CDA project.

"I think we have enough of the lower income [housing] in that area right there, and I’m very concerned for the safety of the children in that neighborhood," said one neighborhood resident, who claimed she and other residents had been troubled by frequent drug deals occurring in nearby Moonshine Park.

"I have a difficult time getting out of my driveway … and I’m very apprehensive about the additional traffic near my home and my family," another neighor, Angela Morley, told the council.

Dakota County CDA Executive Director Mark Ulfers, responding to concerns that the workforce housing project could bring additional crime to the area or lower property values, said many residents applying for the Lemay Lake project were teacher's assistants, pharmacy technicians, hotel service workers and other gainfully employed local residents.

Because of high demand for workforce housing in Eagan, Ulfers added, the agency can be "choosy" about who it accepts for the program. The organization also employs full-time caretakers at each townhown facility to deal with upkeep and address any security concerns, Ulfers said.

"We are able to use a lot of diligence in making these choices because there’s a lot of demand, and we don’t have to deal with the economic pressure that some landlords may feel," Ulfers said.

Eagan Police Chief Jim McDonald also testified in favor of the agency's family townhome developments. The crime rate at the CDA's workforce two pre-existing housing facilities in Eagan were comparable to private housing developments in the city, McDonald said.

Police haven't responded to a higher-than-average number of incidents at Moonshine Park, he added.

"Any time we’ve had any issues with their tenants, they’ve been very responsive," McDonald said of the CDA.

As many as one-third of the CDA's Family Townhome Program applicants go on to purchase houses in local communities, Ulfers added.

"I think of it like an incubator for home ownership," Ulfers said of the program.