By Chad Koenen

Publisher

A potential housing project could bring new life to the now vacant former nursing home building. 

During its regularly scheduled meeting on Monday night, the Henning City Council heard from Dale and Karla Leehy about their desire to bring temporary and permanent housing that would reunite mothers with their children. 

“We want to start a faith-based program to reunite them with their kids,” said Dale. 

With three colleges in the area, as well as the overall design of the former nursing home property, Dale said the Henning location would be an ideal location for a housing project. He went on to say Otter Tail County is in favor of the temporary and permanent housing project in Henning. The county is putting the Leehys in contact with representatives of similar projects in both Hibbing and Duluth. 

As part of the housing project, the Henning location could be used for temporary and permanent housing for women who are released from jail and have lost their children due to drug or alcohol abuse. The housing would be used as a safe place to essentially reunite families and help them start the next chapter of their life.

“You reunite families and you put them back together,” said Dale.

Karla said the facility will provide life skills to the women, help them obtain GEDs if needed, and give them the skills necessary to eventually get a place of their own.

With a lack of similar housing options in the area, the Leehy’s were exploring possible options for the new housing project and wanted to get the input of the city council before purchasing or moving forward with the plan. Dale said they are not seeking city funding at this time, but wanted to ensure the city council would be in favor of such a project before putting too much work into the plan.

“We are not asking for any funding, but before we start putting a lot of work into it, we want to know if the city would allow something like that to move into (the old nursing home),” he said.

Currently the old nursing home building on Marshall Ave. is vacant after most recently being used for temporary housing for Brunswick/Lunds employees. 

Henning City Councilman Scott Hart said he is a foster parent and sees first-hand the need for a facility like the one being proposed by the Leehy’s to help and reunite families. In addition to providing a needed service, he said the project would provide new life to a now vacant building in town.

“I would hope that (the city) would be in favor (of the project) because I do foster care for the same reason. Putting them back together is the ultimate goal,” he said. “In my mind it is a positive thing and it is a positive for Henning.”

The city council didn’t express any concerns regarding the Leehys project at this time. 

Highway 108 project

This summer’s downtown street and maintenance project once again found its way on the city council agenda last Monday as the city continues to navigate through a variety of MnDOT requirements that continue to pop up in the preparation for the construction project. The latest requirement revolves around moving approximately 13-14 utility lines that cross Douglas Ave. along the road project.

MnDOT is now requiring the city to provide additional separation for the city’s underground utilities that are already in place when they cross Douglas Ave. 

Utility Supervisor Ted Strand said there are approximately 13-14 utilities that are already in place that will need to be moved under the proposal presented by MnDOT. While he is not sure the exact cost of moving the utilities, Strand said it could cost in excess of $300,000. The city would be responsible for all of the cost of moving the underground utilities. 

“I have no idea what the cost of this is going to be. I think the state is causing some hardship for the city in removing the utilities that have been here since the 80s and 90s and I am kind of concerned about the blank check that is being expected from the state (to the city) for this part of the project,” said Strand. 

As part of the current proposal, MnDOT is requiring separation between all of the city’s underground utilities both vertically and horizontally. As a result, Strand said the city could be required to bury some of the utilities as much as 15 feet below ground in order to provide enough separation between the utilities. Strand said burying the utility lines at the intersections to such a depth would create not only a hardship to put them in the ground, but to make repairs in the future as well.

Bob Schliemann, of Apex Engineering, said the city and MnDOT had a meeting last Tuesday to try and work out some of the concerns and requirements being imposed on the city as part of the project. The hope was to come to a resolution that would work for both sides.

The cost of moving the utilities is on top of the approximately $1.9 million the city is already paying for the underground utility and road project through downtown Henning.

While the city was presented with an agreement to partner with MnDOT on the Highway 108/Douglas Ave. project last week, the city council agreed to table the project until it can come to a resolution concerning the city utilities.