Commission Votes To Opt Out

The City of Hastings Planning Commission met on Monday night with a small list of items on their agenda. The majority of the time was spent on the topic of opting out of the soon to be state law which allows Temporary Housing on private property that facilitates a family member who needs medical care for a period of up to 1 year. The Minnesota legislature passed only a handful of bills this session, and the manufacturer of these portable housing units was successful in convincing law makers to accept this modular style of housing to be acceptable to cities as an alternative to more expensive nursing or rehab facilities. The law provides an opt out clause, that must be acted on prior to September 1st if a Minnesota City does not wish to allow such structures to be placed on residential property. Discussion among the commission focused on the downsides for such a policy, devoid of code compliance or even any requests to date,from the public for such an option. Justin Fortney explained the opportunity to have the city make its own ordinance if and when Hastings residents requested this type of dwelling and commissioner Don Slaten volunteered that it was reminiscent of the discussions held more than a dozen years ago on so called Granny Flats, suggested as housing for aging parents, mainly in rural applications, due to lot sizes. There was a call to opt out of the state statute, with a unanimous vote to reject the allowance of these structures. The next step will be to bring the recommendation to the public reading of the City Council August 1st, with a vote at the following meeting prior to the September 1st state deadline.