Belfield sells 2 lots for $1 each

• Belfield City Council

Belfield City Council

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BELFIELD — City Council members voted to sell two city lots for $1 each to develop housing on the west side of Belfield during a special meeting Wednesday evening.

Lutheran Social Services Housing, Inc., is planning a $1.5 million project to develop seven city lots into 12 housing units. Construction on the project is slated to begin this summer.

“We need the housing,” said Councilman Jeff Iverson.

City Auditor Cindy Ewoniuk said she gets calls daily from people looking for housing.

“You really don’t have any housing,” said John Phillips, LSS Housing real estate development specialist.

The plan is to build eight two-bedroom units and four three-bedroom units, Phillips said. At least four of the 12 units will be income-based housing, he added.

“We want to make this thing affordable so that the person that works at the grocery store can live there with that or the school teacher can live there with that,” Phillips said.

Although others have showed interest in purchasing the lots, most of the councilman felt allowing LSS Housing to develop the area was a good choice.

“Are we in the business to make money here or are we trying to help the city?” asked Councilman Harold Kubischta.

However, Councilman Jay Temchack voted against selling the lots for $2.

“I’m a believer in less government and more private individual,” Temchack said.

He added the streets in that area are in bad condition.

“Now we’re adding multiple families on those same streets that are in very rough shape, so that becomes a bigger issue now,” Temchack said.

The units will be owned and managed by Lutheran Social Services, according to minutes from a meeting earlier this month.

The project may qualify for up to a $750,000 in grants, Phillips said.

The City Council’s decision was contingent upon approval from city attorney Bob Keogh, who did not attend the meeting.

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