Sartell Mobile Home Park Residents Seek Financial Assistance From City

SARTELL -- A group of Sartell residents are taking every step to hopefully buy and manage the mobile home park they live in.

Back in February residents of the Sartell Mobile Home park were notified by the park owners, RV Horizons, they planned to sell the property and gave the residents the first opportunity to buy the park.

Since that time, residents have been working with a nonprofit, Northcountry Cooperative Foundation (NCF) to help form a resident association to take ownership of the park. The association is known as Eagle's View, which is the potential name for the park, should the sale happen.

Eagle's View Board Chair Melanie Slattery says residents don't want to leave their homes and hopes city leaders sees them as a valuable part of the community.

"We're just hoping the community sees us as part of the community of Sartell. And if this passes we can go on to do some great things and run it effectively and be role models for others in this situation," says Slattery.

The purchase price for the park is about $5.15-million, but with costs of repairs and maintenance, comes to a combined total of $7.34-million.

Last month, the council listened to a presentation by the NCF and board members of Eagle's View which included a request for the city to agree to a $1.5-million loan for infrastructure needs at the park.

Eagle's View Board Co-Chair Mike Grelson says while they know it's a lot of money to ask for, they feel it's a low risk investment with long term rewards.

"We're trying to get a conduit revenue bond where the city isn't liable if we go into default. But with all eight parks NCF has help, no one has defaulted in resident owned communities," says Grelson.

The loan would tentatively be for about 30-years with a 3.7% interest rate, and be used to repair about 75% of the water lines and 20% of its sewer lines. Eagle's View would also look into other grants and federal aid to help lessen the overall cost.

Sartell officials will discuss whether or not to approve the loan at their October 24th meeting. If approved, park residents would move one step closer in closing on the sale of the park by the November 3rd deadline.

There are 163 lots with mobile homes on them in the park. The Sartell Mobile Home Park is located at 106 2nd Street South, next to Great River Bowl and Partners Pub.