Minnesota briefs: Landlord reduces rent increase at Fairmont apartments

The Star Tribune reported the rent increase last Monday. The next day, the landlord rolled back the rent hike.

David N. Olshansky, a Wayzata businessman, bought out his partners in the building in June and began a series of improvements to the property, including new siding and fresh paint.

Angela Gregory, the on-site property manager with Rochester-based Paramark Real Estate Services, slipped a letter under the tenants' doors this month indicating that their rents were going to increase, in many cases, more than doubling.

On Tuesday, she dropped off another letter apologizing for the "hastiness and miscommunication" with the previous notice.

"After much thought and consideration, new rents have been determined" that meet federal low-income subsidy standards for Martin County rather than the Housing Tax Credit limits that were used to determine the initial rent increase, Gregory wrote.

In addition, utilities will still be included in the rents; the previous letter said they'd be excluded.

The new monthly rents range from $529 for a one-bedroom apartment to $795 for a three-bedroom unit.

Dan Browning

A little more than half of the Gunflint Trail in northeast Minnesota is now open to ATVs, after Cook County commissioners approved new rules last week for the wilderness road that snakes northwest from Grand Marais.

The 57-mile trail now allows ATVs from town to the west intersection of County Road 92 near Poplar Lake, adding more than 20 miles of ATV access to the approximately 5 miles previously opened.

Commissioners voted unanimously to open more of the trail, and Cook County Land Services Director Tim Nelson said the board may consider opening the entire trail in the future.

"They'll see how it goes," Nelson said.

Officials monitored the first section of the trail opened to ATVs in July 2015 and found no significant incidents involving the vehicles, Nelson has said.