The city of Dayton is examining a new growth management plan for the city. The proposal released earlier this spring would increase side setbacks 33% in its R-3-zoned area and place a cap on new home growth at 400 units per year.

In a letter to the Dayton Planning Commission, Housing First Minnesota questioned the constitutionality of the proposal, which it called “truly unconscionable.”

“The arbitrary caps on the number of homes per project, and a cap on the total number of new homes in the city annually, run counter to the consensus analysis from housing experts and economists who have unanimously concluded that we need a surge of homes across Minnesota for the next decade-plus,” stated Housing First Minnesota in its letter. “The City already has a Comprehensive Plan that provides for the needed infrastructure necessary to accommodate growth in Dayton. The City should follow its plan and make adjustments, as necessary, to accommodate growth.”

According to Housing First Minnesota, the proposal “not only harms Minnesota’s housing market, it also impacts existing property owners in Dayton whose land is available to meet the desperate shortage of homes in Minnesota.”