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Tuesday, November 5, 2024
HomeCommunitySilverpoint II and East Lakeview Drive Project Updates At Silver Bay Council...

Silverpoint II and East Lakeview Drive Project Updates At Silver Bay Council Meeting

The Silver Bay City Council held its first meeting of 2024 this past Tuesday night. Matthew Johnson, Lake County Hous­ing and Redevelop­ment Authority Exec­utive Director, spoke with the council, once again, about the planned Silverpoint II Apartment project. Readers will remem­ber that the proposed project calls for the construction of around 36 units of much need­ed senior and work­force housing on land adjacent to the current Silverpoint Apart­ments. One of the barriers that is keeping the project from moving forward is the question of whether or not a new street can be constructed between the Silverpoint site and the shopping center. The estimated cost of the new thoroughfare is around $4,000,000.

Johnson acknowledged that such an amount is astronomical for a street that will essentially connect Banks Boulevard with Outer Drive. The reason for the high price tag is that construction of a street through this area would also require the construction of the needed utilities for water and sewer service and for appropriate measures for dealing with storm water management for the area. City leaders are continuing to look into ways that the street construction can be financed. Part of the cost could be picked up by Lake County and the State could also contribute funding. As these issues await an answer, the current landowners have legitimate questions about what to expect as the project progresses.

Johnson stated that the LCHRA is committed to making Silverpoint II happen regardless of what happens with the new street. That being said, the HRA needs to know what they can expect as they move into the design phase of the project. Johnson stated that when completed, Silver-point II will offer one and two-bedroom units at competitive market based rates.

If State funding is involved, it is likely that 20% of the units will be reserved for households with an income that falls below 80% of the Area Mean Income. Joe Rhein, from Bolton & Menk, spoke with the Council about the current state of work that has been done on East Lakeview Drive. Prior to the end of the 2023 construction season, blasting on over 300 yards of rock was completed. That rock will need to be excavated in the Spring before road construction can continue.

Rhein asked the Council to authorize payment in the amount of $22,443 to cover the cost of work that has been done so far. The Council agreed to this request. In other business, the Council appointed Richard Derosier as Acting Mayor, designated the North Shore Journal as the Official Newspaper and approved the hiring of Alex Burcum as a volunteer firefighter. The next Silver Bay City Council meeting will be held on January 16th at 7:00.

Rick Evans
Rick Evans
My wife, Marsha Kinzer (a proud DEHS Greyhound, class of ‘77) introduced me to the North Shore on vacation in 2012. It became our regular escape when the stress of our careers in education became overwhelming, and it didn’t take me long to fall in love with the breathtaking scenery, the nice people, and “salad” containing Jell-o and marshmallows. So you can either blame or thank my loving wife for my being here, because when we needed to choose a retirement hometown, Marsha advocated hard for her beloved Duluth, and here we are, six months later. Yes, this will be my first northern Minnesota winter. Yes, I welcome thoughts and prayers. Government, public policy, and social justice weighed heavily in the curriculums I taught at the high school level over a thirty-eight year career. In addition, we were a laboratory school focused on critical thinking in conjunction with technical and scientific writing. So when I found myself adrift on the great ocean of retirement and spied a raft, I jumped at the chance to take up what I’d left behind…minus the bad teachers’ lounge coffee. My position at the NSJ allows me to combine my passions for government and writing, and it’s helping me to feel less out of touch in new surroundings. When I’m not being “Cubby” (Marsha’s favorite new nickname for this green reporter) I enjoy pointing at eagles and saying, “Look, honey. There’s an eagle.” I’ve had an active side hustle as a professional musician for almost as many years as Charlie Parr. As a guitarist/singer/songwriter, I graced the stages of clubs and festivals around southern Wisconsin, including an appearance on A Prairie Home Companion. Should I even mention A Prairie Home Companion, or am I the only one here old enough to remember what that is? Look! An eagle!
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