In 3-2 Vote, Maple Grove Council Approves Housing Plan Near Tree Preservation Site
A plan to develop part of one of the last heavily forested areas of Maple Grove will move forward despite heavy scrutiny at Tuesday’s council meeting
In a 3-2 vote, the Maple Grove City Council approved a concept plan for a roughly 120-unit housing development called Bella Woods. Lennar, one of the nation’s largest homebuilders, is behind the 40-acre development that surrounds the Minneapolis Northwest KOA Journey campground site in the northwest corner of the city.
The project includes a section of 45-foot wide lots, the aspect that largely drew the most concern.
Some council members against the smaller lots noted how an earlier council forced the Evanswood development across the street to switch to 65-foot wide lots. Tuesday’s decision came down to weighing the preservation of trees versus what the new neighborhood might look like years down the road.
“I don’t want to be seen as anti-tree, because I like trees and want to save them where we can because they’re hard to get back, but so is the last land in Maple Grove,” said Maple Grove City Council member Kristy Barnett, who voted against the project. “You can redo a house, but you can’t redo a whole development.”
Example of Lennar single-family home in Bella Woods concept
Lennar amended its plans after the city’s planning commission weighed in last fall and the city council tabled the project in December. Now the council has two new faces who won election last fall, Rachelle Johnson and Kristy Janigo. Both expressed differing views.
Peter Vickerman, Maple Grove’s city planning manager, told the council that Lennar is preserving 75 percent of the trees in the heavily forested area, which the city identifies as a “T-zone.” City rules could have allowed up to 50 percent removal without significant developer concessions.
“Once it’s developed, they don’t come back,” said Vickerman, who recommended approval. “Those areas are worth keeping.”
Janigo appreciated how the developer was able to preserve more trees than it could have.
“It’s a very gorgeous area of the city,” said Janigo, one of the yes votes. “It’s a special part of the city.”
Like Barnett, Johnson raised concerns about the lot size.
“We also have to think what these developments will look like 10, 15, 20 years down the road,” said council member Johnson, who voted no. “I feel we can probably do better than 45-foot wide lots.”
In exchange for more tree preservation, Lennar put in the smaller lots. It also amended its plans based on council feedback last year, replacing 24 townhomes with 19 detached homes on 45-foot wide lots in the southwest portion of the development. The concept plan before the council called for 75 detached lots and 45 townhomes. Forty-eight of the detached lots would be 65 feet wide, with eight single-family homes located on 55-foot-wide parcels and 18 on-45-foot-wide properties.
Council member Judy Hanson pointed out how the smaller lots will help with affordabilty.
“For me that’s another balance that I actually find in favor of this development,” said Hanson.
Maple Grove Mayor Mark Steffenson ultimately became the deciding vote. Steffenson recommended that the 55-foot-wide lots go away and replaced with 65-foot-wide lots, which would likely be a reduction of two homes. Paul Tabone, representing Lennar, agreed to the concession to allow the project to move forward.
According to city documents, the middle part of the project would be kept nature area with paved trails that would lead to a city park and a future elementary school in the Osseo School District. Vickerman said Fernbrook Elementary currently serves the area, but plans for the school are still several years away.
“They recognize there’s some capacity challenges there, which is part of the push to do a new school up in this area,” said Vickerman.
