More Fiction from the Grand Duchy of Eureka

The latest outrageous comment came last night at the roundtable joint meeting of your Board and Planning Commission. This time it was espoused by Board Chair Pete Storlie, demonstrating a lack of understanding of real estate values, township zoning, and the oversight roles of the State of Minnesota and the Twin Cities Metropolitan Council, not to mention local history, free enterprise, and resident opportunities already fulfilled.

This is why we are Eureka Township in Dakota County, Minnesota, not the independent nation of the Grand Duchy of Eureka.

It is noted, also, that not a single member of the Board or Planning Commission present countered the comment with any facts. Do you wonder why?

Master Storlie, referring to the ability to transfer or sell housing rights: “Transfers are a disaster.” He added it is terrible that a resident should have to pay $30,000 or even $5000 to get a housing right.

I wonder if gasoline is also free in the Grand Duchy?

Reality is based on facts, not an alternate universe of wishful generalizations.

For some two centuries of modern zoning in the United States, it has been recognized that land that can be built upon is more valuable than the same land if not buildable. Zoning enables both guiding planned development as well as protecting residential areas from undesirable development that can negatively impact property value and quality of life.

Pricing is a private negotiation between seller and buyer – Eureka has no role in the pricing, by design. The Township’s only responsibility is to accurately track who legally owns the right and where it is moved from and to when transferred. Eureka needs to be able to prove to Met Council that we are not illegally creating new housing rights without their authority.

By the way, tracking is the key quick reference benefit of the Eureka Property Database I created for Eureka, but for 2 full years now the Board won’t even discuss it after two years of interest and appreciation for the effort by earlier Board members.  

The reality is that the Met Council has told Eureka 4 times that I know since 2007 that they do not foresee Eureka being allowed a higher zoning density until 2040 because of the 380 unused housing rights currently still existing.

From 2014-2022, an average of only 3 new houses per year were built. I know the number has gone up slightly the past two years, but I do not have the actual numbers (since volunteers are shunned). This is a major reason Met Council does not want Eureka to go to higher zoning density.

This was the motivation to expand the cluster feature flexibility to be available to more property owners. It was renamed transfers to distinguish it from cluster term.

From 1990-2022, 60 housing right cluster/transfers have been done.  Each generally benefits 2 households each, such as a young family being able to build close to elderly parents to help them be able to enjoy their golden years at home rather than needing to move to assisted living in some city. My wife and I lived that opportunity, moving from out-of-state, for the benefit of her parents – cluster move #19 in 2000.

The 2013 expanded transfer feature that I led offset the gradual loss of simple clustering opportunities.   

The new features also opened the opportunity for as many as three families to benefit from one transfer –  

1. the seller of land less valuable for not having a housing right, 

2. the seller of an unused housing right, and

3. a buyer wanting to build on the land not already having a housing right.   

The housing right seller gets money that may be needed for health reasons or retirement, while keeping land intact for their family.

Gee, what a disaster to allow housing right transfers to happen…