Over-ruled?

Peter Orbidan, the owner of a carpentry company, works on a house in Fieldstone homes, Lakeville, on Thursday, June 12, 2008.

[Cybear]

<< Suburbs commonly require 80-foot-wide lots for homes, while houses in the core cities fit into lots as narrow as 40 feet. >>

And here I thought that it was environmentally better to have a lower impervious surface percentage. Silly me.

[LIFES NOT FAIR]

I do believe that the same people protecting the "wild grass" and insects are the same ones complaining about no affordable housing. Ya can't have it all people.

Regulations on building? how dare they. Again, this stems from the same people again complaining that builders built poorly and they got ripped off.
Regulations to keep you safer? how stupid

All we hear is that we need more green space and protect our water, and then it's, "unless I want to use that space"

The hypocricy is almost overwhelming.

Hey D R Horton...how's the stock doing, maybe you should worry about your current inventory.

[Disgruntled Outstater]

Larger lots are required in rural townships because there is no access to municipal water and sewer. The current regulations mandate a minimum distance from well to drain field in addition to a planned space for a second drain field when, not if, the primary stops working.

[James McMurphy]

This sorry liberal state cannot have it both ways. So my friends, I guarentee they will raise your taxes once again to pay for this!!

[Frustrated]

These builders are trying to play us. Some of these items like full-width porches, tornado safe rooms, zoning requirements for multi-acre lots, and potential sprinkler systems in every home are going too far.

But, they appear to be trying to accomplish two things. First, to lump in items - such as those listed in my first paragraph - with things like holding ponds for preserving the quality of water runoff. I do not consider myself a treehugger - in addition to water quality a lot of streams have be contained to the point that they can take water in the amounts they used to. The ponds also help slow the water runoff. Results in less potential property/infrastructure damage downstream. They're griping because installing ponds takes away a few potential houses from the land they purchased. This comes from the people who couldn't put up and maintain a silt fence (during construction) to save thier lives.

Second, they're trying to set the stage for changes that will ultimately cost the future homeowners and the rest of the taxpayers in the city more money over time but maximize their profit margin at constructiont time. A lot of main streets will ultimately be four lanes plus trails. If the land is not set aside now, then, the future homeowners will have to deal with noise right next to their window or be taken by eminent domain when the road is widened. Waiting until later to acquire the land ultimately costs you and me more tax dollars. Also, lumping things like full-width porches in the 'pot' sets the stage to chip away at the building code...we'll start spacing the studs at 20 inches instead of 12...

[wasteoftime]

There is no way it is fair to be "affordable housing" in expensive suburbs where working people (who won't qualify) can't afford to live.
Where is the incentive to work for a living?
People should live where they can afford and work their way up like everyone else has done.

[builders]

The builders don't care about affordable housing. They just care about making a profit now.

How can they complain about setasides for drainage or fire protection codes?

I am sure DR HORTON employees don't live in the "affordable housing" they want to build

[John]

builders wrote:

The builders don't care about affordable housing. They just care about making a profit now.
How can they complain about setasides for drainage or fire protection codes?
I am sure DR HORTON employees don't live in the "affordable housing" they want to build

Maybe that's because they work every day and save so they can afford to buy what they want without a government handout.

[Fascist DFLers]

A three part series on the lack of affordable housing yet no real number's for thinking people to analyze. How much are we spending in housing welfare verses five and ten years ago? How does that compare with population and housing inflation? What percent of Minnesotans are receiving housing subsidies and how does that compare with five, ten and twenty year average.

Why no comparables, because we already know the answers. So why this series? Because the DFL plans to introduce legislation next year allowing them to dump more of the inner cities poor onto the suburbs. The cities need to make room for the new latte shops and yoga parlors they think will spring up near the new light-rail lines.

[Fascist DFLers]

John wrote:

<quoted text> Maybe that's because they work every day and save so they can afford to buy what they want without a government handout.

Hey John here's an idea, go start a home building company that cares more about building affordable housing then making a profit, see how long you stay in business.

[Fascist DFLers]

Oops, sorry john that should have been addressed to Builder not you. Have a nice day.

[mr me]

Anyone ever heard of voting with your feet......

[Fascist DFLers]

mr me wrote:

Anyone ever heard of voting with your feet......

Yeah, and those wearing Jack Boots are winning.

[David S]

I am so tired of "affordable housing" noise. Before all of these groups starting advocating this artificial concept people lived in what their budget allowed. I feel sorry for the suburbs that get "legally" nailed by some group like Met Council. If I wanted to have an urban atmosphere complete with the crime attached, I could live in the metro area. Instead, I choose to live in the suburbs. Having worked my way up, after many years, the suburbs are "affordable" to me. Those who also want to live here should do the same - work.

[Mary]

Disgruntled Outstater wrote:

Larger lots are required in rural townships because there is no access to municipal water and sewer. The current regulations mandate a minimum distance from well to drain field in addition to a planned space for a second drain field when, not if, the primary stops working.

Details.

[A Reagan Baby]

Number one personal income taxes are too high. Two, property taxes are soaring with no halt in the future. Three, businesses are fleeing MN because of our insane corporate income tax. It all adds up to having less money for a home. In fact if you buy you can avoid a lot of taxes, but people are too afraid of buying right now because home prices are going to fall another 15% and it will take at least 5 years before homes go up in value.

Also, inflation is insane right now. Food, Gas and the falling dollar. Guess we should just move into the Met Coucil's Soviet style condos next to the light rail. That is plan the Liberals have for suburbia. They want to distribute the misery evenly.

[Bud]

It seems to me I have been reading a lot lately about all of the vacant homes in North Minneapolis and East Saint Paul, how about putting them there?

[GRP]

Comment based on the Met Council piece yesterday. Your couldn't post a comment yesterday afternoon because the functionality wasn't available - PP shut it down? Met Council - here's how the private sector would deal with one some aspects of the issue - the cost and availability. Instead of advocating a solution that continues to grow government, i.e. we need more affordable housing. Why aren't you working with government and private entities to minimize and reduce the expenses? Why is there an increased need, what are the eligibility criteria for obtaining affordable housing, are there "term limits" for staying in affordable housing, etc? Then, put some metrics in place that define success, so the public can judge your performance.

For the article today - Regulations impact cost? Imagine that! Why do you think it takes 10 years and billions in development costs to bring a drug to market? Why can't we drill for the 124 billion barrels of known resources we have in the US - regulations....

[Ack]

Time to get rid of the Met Council. What an UNELECTED waste of space and tax dollars!

[manerac]

Oak cabinets, mere formica counters -- my wife used to think our house was nice, now she knows it's just an "affordable" house.