A Minnesota neighborhood has been up in arms over a resident who desires to construct a tiny dwelling in his yard for homeless households.
The controversy exploded within the metropolis of Blaine when Alex Pepin sought a allow to construct the 600-square-foot tiny dwelling, also called an “accessory dwelling unit,” on his property.
“It would be families coming out of homelessness, so they would have gone through a program first,” he informed WCCO Information final week of the plan, including the households would ultimately discover a totally different long-term housing answer.
However the good intention from Pepin, who runs a non-profit to assist the homeless, hasn’t mattered a lot to surrounding metropolis residents.
“Everybody is upset,” native David Hime mentioned at a current Blaine Metropolis Council assembly, based on the Star Tribune. “The neighborhood is up in arms over this.”
Blaine officers permitted an ordinance 4 years in the past that will give residents the chance to construct the small constructions in a bid for extra reasonably priced housing.
Hime, who’s Pepin’s next-door neighbor, informed the planning fee in April that Pepin’s proposal isn’t in accordance with the legislation.
“This is a development of private homes,” he mentioned of the proposed little home, based on WCCO.
Whereas the town’s Planning Fee signed off on Pepin’s request, the Metropolis Council, together with its mayor, lately rejected it 5-2 due to such contentions.
The town has now paused any tiny-home proposal for the subsequent yr to rethink its zoning code.
“The intent was for families to have an option for housing, whether it be for parents or in-laws or kids trying to get their start,” Blaine Mayor Tim Sanders mentioned, based on the Star Tribune.
“It was not intended to be a revenue generator for the homeowner to rent out the space to a second family more or less living in someone else’s backyard.”
Pepin was left annoyed by the town’s resolution.
“It was disappointing for us,” Pepin informed the newspaper.
“We’re just trying to do an allowable activity in the city. This is an allowable means to get affordable housing for people who need help in our community.”
