'It would junk it up': Residents near proposed Lake Mitchell housing development push back on rezone request

Jun. 27—MITCHELL — A request to rezone a piece of land along the west side of Lake Mitchell for a proposed housing development has sparked opposition among nearby residents.

Chuck Mauszycki, a longtime local real estate developer, is partnering with a new housing nonprofit organization to build a large development that seeks to bring over 100 homes on a piece of land along North Ohlman Street.

For the nonprofit organization, called Mitchell Area Housing Incorporated, to build some twinhomes in the first phase of the proposed development, the land would need to be rezoned from its existing Residential Lake district to a Planned Unit Development (PUD) district. But a handful of nearby residents pushed back on the rezoning request due to concerns that it could negatively affect the existing homes and area surrounding the undeveloped land.

Dale Odegaard, a Lake Mitchell resident who owns property near the proposed development, expressed his opposition to rezoning the land to a PUD, claiming it "opens up a can of worms" as to the type of homes it could bring and the permitted uses allowed in them.

"The city is looking to spend $14 to $15 million on cleaning up the lake area, and I don't think this area would be cleaned up by it," Odegaard said during Monday's meeting in front of a packed City Hall. "Chuck (Mauszycki) mentioned more expensive homes, Terry mentioned starter homes. I don't know in an area like that would you build a $400,000 to $500,000 across the street from affordable housing? I'm not sure."

Kelly Gross, a nearby resident, opposed rezoning the land to a PUD, pointing to it as a move that would "junk up" the existing area that's surrounded by residential homes.

"I was shocked to find out you think a lawnmower business could be appropriate out there. I work directly across the street from the lawnmower business and hear people say 'It's too bad you work across the street from the lawnmower business because it looks like crap.' And you want to put that in a neighborhood? That's wrong," Gross said. "We have too nice of an area out there to junk it up."

Mauszycki said rezoning the land to a PUD would make way for "bigger and better" homes to be built in the South Lake Estates development. Initially, the proposed widths of the lots in the proposed development were 75 feet. Mauszycki changed the minimum widths of the lots in the development to 85 feet, a move he said would allow for a "bigger house with a double garage."

"The changes we made were toughening up the PUD. The purpose of the PUD as I see it is to put bigger and better homes on the land," Mauszycki said during Monday's Planning Commission meeting. "The lots are about 85 by 120 feet, and we would like to abandon the alley. We can set the setbacks in PUD at like 3 feet in the side yard and 20 to 25 feet in the backyard, which we've suggested."

After donating 23 lots to the Mitchell Area Housing Incorporated organization, Mauszycki said the group would build the first phase of the South Lake Estates development.

By partnering with the nonprofit organization, Mauszycki said the group will help pay for the infrastructure through a Tax Increment Finance district that is subject to the Mitchell City Council's approval.

"I'm excited about this," he said.

Terry Sabers, the leader of Mitchell Area Housing Incorporated, said rezoning the land to a PUD would pave the way for the organization to build twin homes in the development. The development would primarily entail single-family homes, according to the master plan that's been approved by the council.

Sabers provided background information on the new housing nonprofit, which was created this year to help bring more workforce housing options to Mitchell.

"Our focus is to build homes that are under $250,000. The builders are very busy building $300,000 to $400,000 homes, and there is nobody really focusing on the lower cost homes," Sabers said. "We would develop Indian Head Street on the south side of the park all the way around to Ohlman Street."

Among the handful of residents who spoke at Monday's meeting, Jason Spicer was the lone Mitchell resident who spoke in support of the proposed development, calling it a "gift to the city."

Spicer detailed the challenges he recently faced when searching for a home in Mitchell that was affordable as another reason he supports the planned South Lake Estates development.

"There is a real need to put housing somewhere, and quite honestly it seems there is a gift that was given to the city to provide housing to a growing community," Spicer said.

According to City Planner Mark Jenniges, if the land is rezoned to a Planned Unit Development (PUD) district, the permitted uses include bed and breakfasts, lodging, child care residential operations, home occupations, lodging houses and retail services. Jenniges said a conditional use permit would be required to operate the respective uses in the proposed development.

"They are looking to the board to police what could go out there," Jenniges said.

The rezoning request was a discussion item on Monday, meaning the Planning and Zoning Commission did not take any action on the request. The panel will consider the rezoning change at its next meeting on July 11.