06-24-2024 Council Meeting Packet

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It's been said that there is no Pulte Development coming. They are not under contract for the land adjacent to this development as City Council Members have suggested. Well, they are under a purchase contract for the adjacent property. I was happy to see Zikar Holdings attorney Matt Duffy publicly apologize during the Planning and Zoning public hearing last week. Matt had originally said Pulte was not under contract somewhat giving merit to several others erroneous statements saying that there is no other developer considering developing land in that quadrant, thus there is no need for a moratorium. Well, there is. That’s simply the facts. It's been asked why hasn’t Pulte submitted a land use application like Zikar Holdings then if they are planning to develop? Where I cannot speak for the developer, if I had to guess, I would suspect, it’s in lieu of my motion for a 1-year moratorium to address any infrastructure concerns, and complete a Master Plan, which so far seems to have a majority support on the Council. I know if I’m a developer, I would think, I better see how that plays out before spending any more time and money on a project until I get the guidance from the City Council, but that’s just me. Again, this is merely speculation, but Pulte as a very experienced developer likely knows that comprehensive plans can change during a moratorium, especially when master planning is going on. Why spend money on a Concept Plan review by submitting a land use application, when the entire landscape of a Comprehensive Plan can change? Similar to how I cannot speak on Pulte’s behalf, I cannot speak on behalf of Zikar Holdings. Why they felt they needed to hurry up and get a Concept Plan reviewed when a possible moratorium was proposed, with the knowledge of the moratorium’s proposal prior to them even submitting in a land use application is beyond the scope of what I can attest to. However, they were and are well within their right to do so. In my original motion to start a discussion of a moratorium, I said and I quote… “Development is expensive. A developer can be 10’s of thousands of dollars invested in a project just to find out if it can move forward or not. I would hate to see some of these developments come forward, invest a ton of money into it, and find out we can’t support the homes for the developments. Would there need to be Comp Plan changes, etc. that would make a development once thought to work, no longer meet the economic expectations of the developer?” End Quote. I said this as a heads up to the two developers in particular. I didn’t want them to spend money without knowing all of the facts of a potential change in the outcome of a proposed development. We have heard from many citizens who are concerned about the pace of growth in Lino Lakes. These voices reflect a desire to ensure that our City's expansion is manageable and sustainable. These concerns are valid and echo the reasons behind proposing the moratorium. The interim ordinance is intended to provide transparency and invite public participation in shaping the future of this critical area. It is about aligning our development efforts with our Comprehensive Plan, ensuring that we have a Master Plan that incorporates the needs and desires of our taxpayers and neighboring communities. This is an opportunity to gather input from all stakeholders, through public hearings and other means. A development now, will be what an area looks like for likely the next 100 years, maybe more. Let’s do it right! It is important to remember that this is a temporary measure. It is not designed to halt development indefinitely but to provide a structured and thoughtful approach to how we proceed. By taking this pause, we can avoid rushing into development without a clear plan, which could lead to costly revisions and unintended consequences in the future.