By Joe Morey
News Editor
Plans for the first four homes of a new subdivision located at the Four Corners Area of the LCO Reservation are currently in the works. The project planner, Jason Weaver of the LCO Grants Department, told the LCO Tribal Governing Board (TGB) on Tuesday, Jan. 18, that the four homes could be built along Schoolhouse Road across from the new LCO Fire Hall at a far lesser cost because they can tap into existing infrastructure, which includes sewer, water and electric.
On Monday, Nov. 30, Weaver reported to the TGB the plan for the new subdivision at the Four Corners area in the northwest corner of the intersection was moving forward after Coleman Engineering completed a topographical survey and layout which included approximately 30 units.
Weaver said this week the $1.4 million dollar infrastructure project would be funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) but not until next year, 2022. The first four homes wouldn’t need the new infrastructure because they could tie into the existing lines running along Schoolhouse Road.
“The main road for the neighborhood will enter across from the fire hall and it will loop around to another entrance off of Froemel Road,” Weaver noted. “We’ll need to designate the four areas and LCO Development will clear it out. Then we’ll upgrade the road and driveways.”
According to the plan, the road and first four homes would be done this year.
The TGB all agreed in previous meetings that the intent of the new subdivision was that the homes would be intended for workers and not low income.
“There is a real need for more housing at LCO for our workforce. Some of our workers live as far away as Ladysmith and Spooner and drive to work every day,” LCO TGB member Glenda Barber stated. In recent discussion, the TGB said the purpose would be for families who make too much annually to be in LCO Housing. They would be designated as rent-to-own homes with a flat rental rate for all the homes. The rent wouldn’t be based on income.
The land surveyed consists of 50 acres on the Northwest corner of Froemel Road and Round Lake School Road across from both the new Fire Hall and new Daycare Center. There will be a 10-acre buffer between the new community and Akikindaag and 40 acres for the new home developments.
The TGB is budgeting $500,000 to $700,000 to build the first four homes in the subdivision and would next need to designate the locations within the plan, and choose a design for each home.
Weaver noted the units will sit on one-acre sites so there’ll be plenty of room for whatever the TGB decides to build. They could develop townhomes or even apartments. Any way the TGB wants to go, Weaver explained.
Each lot is large enough with plenty of space between them and with water and sewer laid out, it makes it easy for anyone to lease land in the subdivision and build their own homes with water, sewer, light and a fire number. This would also help them get loans.
View of the Four Corners at bottom center and the proposed area for the new subdivision. The neighborhood at top center is the current Akikindaag. The new community would be located between there and the road to the south.