City of Landfall proclaims independence, celebrates with party
The Brief
The city of Landfall on Thursday proclaimed its independence from Washington County.
The city, which is the county's smallest with 843 residents, started decades ago as a private property.
Washington County bought the property in the late 1990s for about $7 million; the city recently paid off the bond.
LANDFALL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The City of Landfall on Thursday proclaimed its independence from Washington County, ensuring that the mobile home park along I-94 will never be sold.
What we know
The city of Landfall on Thursday proclaimed its independence from Washington County, cementing its place as an affordable housing community and ensuring that it will never be sold. The city is home to hundreds of income-restricted mobile homes.
The backstory
The city of Landfall started as a private property with affordable housing in the years after World War II. It became a village in 1959 and a city in 1974. In the early 1990s, it was at risk of being sold and redeveloped before Washington County stepped in and purchased it for about $7 million. The city recently paid off the bond, granting it ownership of the property.
What they're saying
"We're making a proclamation that the park will never be sold," said Mayor Stan Suedkamp. "It means that we have paid the citizens of Washington County who invested that money to buy the park here, and we had the dream with them."
Longtime resident Mary Blaylock remembers when the city faced a possible sale.
"The trailer parks around the Twin Cities being sold, something else goes up — people have nowhere to go," she recalled. "But we have this now. We've got it. It's ours."
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