Grand Marais City Council to vote on Bjorkberg housing development at Aug. 14 meeting
The need for additional housing units in Cook County is well documented, as well as the need for different types of housing.
The Gunflint Vue developers broke ground earlier this summer on a large apartment complex, and several other apartment projects are in planning phases. While the apartment projects are in the works, other developers have chosen to focus on increasing the number of housing units available for sale.
Jon Petters is one of the people working on the Bjorkberg project. He told WTIP that he was motivated to work on a housing development within Grand Marais because of his attachment to the area and his connections to the county. Petters said that he and his family previously owned property in the area, and that he and his wife hoped to be able to move to Grand Marais.
The Bjorkberg project would comprise of 19 townhome units, with each unit available for ownership. The development would not allow short-term rentals, but would allow owners to offer their units for long-term (over 30 days) rentals. Petters said that this type of high-density development is a way to keep prices lower for future buyers, and that the townhome design, with shared walls, would make building and running utilities more efficient and less disruptive.
While the cost of each unit is still undetermined, the Housing Redevelopment Authority has supported the Bjorkberg project under the agreement that 5 of the townhomes would be designated for sale at what the HRA defines as an affordable price.
The project has garnered some skepticism from Grand Marais residents, especially from neighbors of the proposed site.
At the Jul. 31 Grand Marais City Council meeting, several members of the public expressed their concerns about how the project might impact the neighborhood. Some had concerns about traffic volume once the homes were completed and occupied. Others were concerned about the building process, and how something like blasting on the site might impact the existing structures in the immediate area.
The proposal was approved by Grand Marais Planning and Zoning, and send to the City Council for review in July. After hearing concerns, the City Council opted to table approving the plans until the Aug. 14 meeting.
During those two weeks, Petters said that he and his team have made some adjustments to the initial proposal in an effort to address the concerns raised by neighbors. This included eliminating eight Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) from the plan, which would have allowed for additional residents beyond the occupants of the 19 townhomes.
The council will vote on the amended plans at the Aug. 14 meeting. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Commissioners Board Room at the Cook County Courthouse.
WTIP’s Kirsten Wisniewski spoke with Jon Petters about the proposed project. Audio of that interview is below.
Kirsten Wisniewski August 14, 2024
