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The city Residential Improvement and Development Committee on Wednesday voted in favor of donating the half-block of former Franklin School land in the Woods Addition to Crookston Area Habitat for Humanity. Their recommendation will next go to the full city council for approval, City Administrator Aaron Parrish said, once a purchase agreement and other paperwork is finalized.
The land, about 300 feet long and a half-block deep, is big enough to fit three to five houses, he said.
Dale Knotek, who represented the local Habitat board of directors at the committee meeting, said the donation is critical to the local chapter's mission, because it has only one lot left in Eickhof's Third Resubdivision on Crookston's northeast corner, where most of the Habitat homes have been constructed to date.
"It's very exciting," Knotek said. "Jay Nimens, a member of our board, has been helping us to find buildable lots, and he's been working hard with the city on this."
City officials earlier this fall talked about what to do with the Franklin property. It's a nice lot, but officials have been hesitant to construct anything on it because of the added cost that would come with removing some asphalt and portions of the school's concrete slab that still remain. Parrish said Crookston Habitat officials are aware of those issues, and they'll either work around the concrete or have it removed themselves.
He said the donation helps the city in two ways. First, the city will no longer have to spend time and money to maintain the property and, second, once homes are constructed on the lots, they'll be back on the city's tax rolls.
"The fairest thing from our perspective is to donate the land to Habitat, with the understanding that they'll have some work to do at some expense," Parrish said.
It's by far the largest piece of property the local Habitat chapter has ever had, Knotek said, and it will alter the chapter's approach when teaming up with a partner family to construct a home. When the next family is chosen, he explained, they'll be able to choose where they want to live, in the last lot available in Eickhof's Third Resubdivision, or in the Woods Addition.
"We build simple, decent, affordable homes, and I think that's going to fit well with the Woods neighborhood," Knotek said. "We'll work with the city on how best to divide up the parcels."
The city Residential Improvement and Development Committee on Wednesday voted in favor of donating the half-block of former Franklin School land in the Woods Addition to Crookston Area Habitat for Humanity. Their recommendation will next go to the full city council for approval, City Administrator Aaron Parrish said, once a purchase agreement and other paperwork is finalized.
The land, about 300 feet long and a half-block deep, is big enough to fit three to five houses, he said.
Dale Knotek, who represented the local Habitat board of directors at the committee meeting, said the donation is critical to the local chapter's mission, because it has only one lot left in Eickhof's Third Resubdivision on Crookston's northeast corner, where most of the Habitat homes have been constructed to date.
"It's very exciting," Knotek said. "Jay Nimens, a member of our board, has been helping us to find buildable lots, and he's been working hard with the city on this."
City officials earlier this fall talked about what to do with the Franklin property. It's a nice lot, but officials have been hesitant to construct anything on it because of the added cost that would come with removing some asphalt and portions of the school's concrete slab that still remain. Parrish said Crookston Habitat officials are aware of those issues, and they'll either work around the concrete or have it removed themselves.
He said the donation helps the city in two ways. First, the city will no longer have to spend time and money to maintain the property and, second, once homes are constructed on the lots, they'll be back on the city's tax rolls.
"The fairest thing from our perspective is to donate the land to Habitat, with the understanding that they'll have some work to do at some expense," Parrish said.
It's by far the largest piece of property the local Habitat chapter has ever had, Knotek said, and it will alter the chapter's approach when teaming up with a partner family to construct a home. When the next family is chosen, he explained, they'll be able to choose where they want to live, in the last lot available in Eickhof's Third Resubdivision, or in the Woods Addition.
"We build simple, decent, affordable homes, and I think that's going to fit well with the Woods neighborhood," Knotek said. "We'll work with the city on how best to divide up the parcels."
Meanwhile, construction continues on Crookston Habitat's latest home on the northeast corner. The siding is on and the goal is to close up the outside in time for winter. The hope is to have the family moved in sometime in January, Knotek said.
That means it's time to find the next partner family, which, in return for expending "sweat equity" during the construction of their home, receives an interest-free mortgage. "We're searching for a family right now," Knotek said.
If you're interested and want to learn more, Knotek said he can be reached at 281-6680. Carol Royal is on the Family Selection Committee, he added, and has applications available at American Federal Bank.
