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Hi! My husband a I will be moving to Sioux Falls in a few months. From what we have seen so far, we like the city a lot. However, we do not like the oppressive smell coming from the Morrell plant in the North of the city. We really want to buy a house, and we hope to buy a cheap one (less than $100,000). However, our first priority, within that price range, will be location -- we want a neighborhood that is smell-free for 90% of the year.
How far from the factory should we plan to live? Does anyone know which direction is best (eg SW vs SE)? I realize that most of you residents are probably accustomed to the smell, so you notice it less than I will. However, any advise you can offer would be great!
We are interested in a house just west of S Western Ave, and just south of Hwy 42. Does anyone know how many days each month/year we will smell the plant from this area?
I really think you might be blowing this out of proportion. I moved to Sioux Falls about 2 years ago (so I didn't grow up used to the smell), and have honestly only been offended by the smell maybe 20 times (if that), and that was only when I was downtown where I work - and that was only walking from my car into work, never inside work. I live west off of Marion Rd, and I have not once ever smelled Morrell's. I have more issues with being in the flight path for the airport, and even that is relatively minor.
I'm quite familiar with the area in which you are referring, and I would not worry about the Morrell's smell, and I would highly recommend you find a home there. It is incredibly close to everything important, but its also very quiet (if you aren't on Western, 18th, 22nd, or Kiwanis) If you were thinking of buying a house out by Morrell's and the prison, I'd tell you not to live there - but not because of the smell.
Honestly, I think you may have visited the town on a bad day. If you have only been here once or twice, please come again and I can almost guarantee you it won't stink.
Thanks for the reply -- it was very helpful, as well as encouraging! Thank you for including detail and tips; I am glad to hear that you recommend that particular neighborhood... it seemed very nice and quiet to me as well. I definitely have been a little worried about the smell, so it is good to hear from someone with a positive experience.
I agree with mjgustafson, but the area closer to Sanford hospital gets nicer. The 12th and Western is not a crime-ridden hole, but is a safe and OK place for cheaper housing. Further south one goes, the better the area gets. The trees in the area are nice and add character to the small older houses in the area and the area is little hilly in spots. There is no worry about the Morrell's smell in that part of Sioux Falls.
Most parts of Sioux Falls, you will not need to worry about the Morrell's smell and are safe and low to limited crime. Locking doors and using common sense will reduce your odds. I would shy away from buying a house near Morrell's (dirty and rougher than most areas of Sioux Falls) and definitely avoid areas by the State Pennitentary (dirty) and north Cliff Ave.
Anything south of 12th street in Sioux Falls will save you from the stink. Honestly it is tons better than it used to be in the 80's before the EPA made them clean things up.
Avoid the north end of town and avoid the airport area. That whole section of town is noisy, tends to smell or have more pollution and run of the mill crime problems are worse there.
South of 12th street the only really undesirable neighborhood is between Minnesota Ave west toward Grange Avenue. That swath is mostly rental houses that are not being taken care of.
If you want the scoop on an area you can call the SFPD and ask them. They are pretty forthcoming about how many calls they get to a neighborhood and what kind.
There are some areas of town that flood during storms frequently. Mostly low lying areas in the central south area. The city has done some changes to help relieve that but there are homes that habitually flooded every few years. Something to ask about if your buying.
Really, the only area where the smell would be a problem is centered right around the Morrell plant... like Benson Road south to East 10th Street...between Minnesota Avenue and I-229... Somedays I will drive by Morrells and not smell a thing...other days, I can smell it...
I agree on the flooding issue that was said before... They are working on replacing the pipes underground to ones with a larger diameter... A few holding ponds have been created for overflow.
I have to disagree about the smell issue. We lived for a bit around Kiwanis & Russell and we would get the stench about twice a month. It depends on what they are doing and how the wind blows. It would be bad enough we would shut the windows.
If you go south of 12th street your probably going to be far enough to avoid it all the time. The other downsides of the section we were living in was the airport and the fairgrounds.
I live just a few blocks south of Kiwanis & Russell, and have never encountered the smell...when I've been outside
I wouldn't generalize to say to live south of 12th Street... there is much development in the northwest, along Marion Road, between Maple and 60th Street N...also there are nice developments north of I-90 on Cliff Avenue...
Aspen Heights, on Marion Road between Madison and Maple is a northwestern neighborhood that is nice and peaceful and is far enough away to avoid the stench of John Morrell's. I know of several people who live in this general area and are happy with the area but wish that more services such as a convenience store, grocery store, and restaurants will come. Over time, they will see these services come when more peopel move out in that direction. Many of the townhomes and houses are affordable for newer homes.
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