Faced with housing shortage, city rezones land to limit housing

Looks like a compromise and we know this country can’t seem to get many. I would have supported more units. I don’t understand Janet Kennedy’s explanation of this is not being a reduction of planned units.

I’m a western Duluth resident all my life and I have come around on “low income housing” in my neighborhood. What bothers me the most is we can only build those style units in areas that have no power or influence. In other words, places where people that can afford to build but will not build. Why is it that we want to lift people up but we only want them to live where we don’t want to? This site is the perfect site for low-income and mixed-income level housing that would lift folks up to enjoy the area like others do. It’s not like the area is full of high-end housing in the first place. Why didn’t Janet get this! Maybe she does and prefers not to say much on the matter.

I will add that eastern Duluth also does not want low-income housing. I fully support low-income housing on the Lester Golf Course area as well. Heck, they finally allowed and welcomed liquor licenses out there after what, 150 years, so why not a diverse set of housing styles as well?

Last point, the Breakers project out on 21st Ave E got a height variance stating that 12 foot ceilings are needed because folks can’t live with 9 foot ceilings in this type of development, which turns out to be the most expensive units in Duluth, up to $3,000,000 per. I’m hopeful that someone may look to build higher end housing inits in this area and receive the same preferential treatment from the Planning Department’s staff and administration, variances for a chosen few! The planning commission had a couple speak up on this fact but lost the vote something like 7-2. At least 2 people understood the rules of variances and didn’t pay attention to money and power.

Yea, western Duluth is open for business. And variances???

Allan Kehr is a landlord with a Zillow account that has a 218 phone number listed. Of course he doesn’t want new houses built, he has a vested interest in keeping the cost of living as high as possible. Why has everyone missed this context? He’s not just a random “Allan Kehr, a resident of the Fairmount neighborhood.” he’s actually “Allan Kehr, a resident of the Fairmount neighborhood who sees increased profits off of the limited stock of housing in this town.”