HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-05-03 PC Packet
PLANNING COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETING AGENDA
May 5 , 2023 – 6:30 P.M.
1. Call to Order
2. Roll Call
3. Special Order of Business
A. Oath of Office, Commissioner Amber Urlacher
4. Citizens Requests and Comments Relating to Planning and Zoning Issues
Not Already on the Agenda. (Before speaking, please give your full name and
address for the record.)
5. Planning Cases
A. (none)
6. Other Planning Activity
A. Pulte Homes & Yard Homes Concept Plan 7. Approval of Minutes:
A. April 19, 2023
8. Reports
A. Upcoming Planning Cases & Activity
B. Staff Updates
C. Council Updates
D. Planning Commissioner Reports
9. Next Planning Commission Meetings:
A. Wednesday, May 17, 2023
B. Wednesday, June 7, 2023
10. Adjournment
The Mounds View Vision
A Thriving Desirable Community
Item No: 06A
Meeting Date: May 3, 2023
Type of Business Other
Planning Case
City of Mounds View Staff Report
To: Planning Commission
From: Jon Sevald, Community Development Director
Item Title/Subject: Pulte Homes & Yard Homes Concept Plan
Introduction:
Pulte and YardHomes have submitted a Concept Plan for review by the City Council (May 1),
Planning Commission (May 3), and Parks, Recreation & Forestry Commission (May 25).
Concept Plans are intended to be an informal review for the benefit of the developer in their
preparation of submitting a Preliminary Plat. There is no formal action. Each Commissioner
should ask questions, and provide their individual comments and recommendations.
Discussion:
Around 1940, much of Mounds View was platted in a grid system, although many streets were
not built at that time. When regional sewer became available in the 1960’s, more streets and
homes were built. The area south of Ardan Park remained undeveloped, assumedly because of
soil conditions and the availability of developable land elsewhere.
Previous attempts at redevelopment were made in 2005 and 2018. In 2005, a developer
presented concept plans for apartments and single-family homes. In 2018, a developer
presented plans for a 180-unit apartment. Both projects would have eliminated the Ardan Park
Yard Waste drop off site. The Council’s direction has been to keep this service in Mounds View.
The City Council regularly discusses redevelopment priority sites, of which this site has been
near the top of priorities. In 2022, the City Council directed Staff to conduct a wetland
delineation of the Ardan Park and Greenfield Park areas, with the intent of identifying
developable land. From this study, Staff solicited proposals from developers for both sites.
At the January 3, 2023 City Council Work Session, four developers submitted proposals, of
which the Council selected Pulte and YardHomes. Pulte is proposing 75 townhomes with
access from Ardan Avenue. YardHomes is proposing 12 tiny homes, with access on Woodlawn
Drive.
On April 20, 2023, the developers conducted a Neighborhood meeting, attended by about 40
residents. Summary of public comments:
Unrelated to project Project as a whole Pulte YardHomes
•Speeding on Long
Lake Rd
•Traffic control, e.g.
competing with Yard
Waste
•Rentals •Rentals
•Intersection @ Co
Rd J - Airport Rd -
Long Lake Rd
•Drainage & wetland
impacts
•Nuisance mitigation:
Odor from Yard
Waste, US 10 Noise
•ADA accessibility
Item 06A
Page 2 of 4
The Mounds View Vision
A Thriving Desirable Community
• Property taxes • Environmental &
wildlife impacts
• Traffic study • Building codes (e.g.
storm shelter),
shared utility lines
• School impacts • Wetland setbacks • Exterior storage
• Property values • Guest parking • Guest parking
• Water table elevation • Townhomes too
expensive
• Home financing
Analysis:
The Concept Plan does not have the level of detail as would be on a Preliminary Plat. Thus,
Staff is not able to provide a detailed analysis. This will be done at the Preliminary Plat stage,
including addressing public comments from the April 20th Neighborhood meeting.
This project will be a Planned Unit Development (PUD). With PUD’s, the intent is to allow
variations from the City Code in some areas, and excessive standards in other areas (give &
take). The overall intent of PUD’s is to obtain a better development than what would have
occurred if following the strict regulations of the City Code.
Topic Possible Variations
from City Code
Possible Variations
exceeding City Code
Density 1 Pulte (R-3 zoning):
Min 6,500sf p/unit (52 units)
required, whereas 4,536sf p/lot
proposed (75 units).
YardHomes (R-1 zoning):
Min 11,000sf p/unit (6 units)
required, whereas 5,445sf p/lot
proposed (12 units).
Building Setbacks 2 Front: 30’ required.
Pulte proposed 22’.
YardHomes unknown.
Setbacks from wetlands.
Home Size 3 Minimum 960 sf required for one-
story dwellings, whereas
YardHomes will be 640 - 825 sf
Parking 4 Minimum two spaces p/unit.
YardHomes shows 1 stall p/unit.
Putle exceeds parking
requirement. YardHomes
includes public parking at south
trailhead.
Landscaping TBD TBD
Architecture N/A TBD
Amenities N/A Restored wetlands. Public trail.
Other amenities TBD.
The project proposes to reconstruct Ardan Avenue to a three lane street, with two lanes
dedicated for the Yard Waste site (separates residential and yard waste traffic). Further
consideration should be given regarding internal circulation within the Yard Waste site, as well
as any mitigation or screening necessary between the townhomes and yard waste site.
1 City Code §160.056(B)(2)(c) AREA AND BUILDING SIZE REGULATIONS; Minimum lot area (R-3 district).
2 City Code §160.055(C) YARD REQUIREMENTS; Setbacks for Principal Buildings (R-1, R-2, R-3 districts).
3 City Code §160.056(D)(1) AREA AND BUILDING SIZE REGULATIONS; Minimum floor area per dwelling unit.
4 City Code §160.342 SCHEDULE OF OFF-STREET PARKING REQUIREMENTS; Single-family and two-family dwellings.
Item 06A
Page 3 of 4
The Mounds View Vision
A Thriving Desirable Community
The Council and Commissions should discuss how the community may benefit from this project,
thereby justifying the use of a PUD, vs. R-1 and R-3 zoning.
Strategic Plan Strategy/Goal:
Continue BR&E program, maximize utilization of development space and updated list of
available sites, & consider residential redevelopment.
Financial Impact:
To be determined.
The City/EDA own 6 of the 13 parcels involved. In the developer’s narrative, Pulte is
subsidizing the YardHomes project by $200,000, and is requesting that the EDA take this into
consideration in order to keep the YardHomes project affordable (e.g. $200,000 subsidy). Most
of the city’s parcels were acquired by Tax Forfeiture. The City Attorney is reviewing the parcel’s
Title reports regarding the city’s costs to-date, and the process the City/EDA will need to go
through to sell the land to Pulte.
As part of the plat, the City may require Park Dedication up to 10% of the land, or fees up to
$3,500 p/unit ($304,500).
In the developer’s narrative, townhomes will average $400,000, and YardHomes $200,000.
2022 property taxes would be $5,230 ($1,447 to Mounds View) for townhomes, and $2,418
($660 to Mounds View) for YardHomes. 87 homes combined, this is $421,266 ($116,445 to
Mounds View).
Recommendation:
Staff recommends that Commisioners ask questions, and provide comments and
recommendations individually. There is no formal action. The developers will take these
comments into account, and will submit applications in mid-summer.
This project provides two housing types missing from Mounds View: expensive townhomes, and
affordable single-family homes (tiny homes). The most recent townhome project, the 72-unit
Red Oaks Estates 3rd Addition (1974 - 2019), has values between $200,000 - $325,000. There
is nothing similar to YardHomes other than manufactured homes, which have values between
$6,000 - $72,000 in Mounds View.
Additionally, the project has the potential of restoring Ardan Park to a smaller version of Silver
View Park, with a circular trail around the wetland, and other amenities that may be missing in
the north end of town. A public-private partnership investing in Ardan Park as a focal point of
the community is what PUD’s are intended to do, but have seldom done (not every PUD project
is next to a park). The most similar project(s) are H2 Flats (Scotland Green) in 1972, and Silver
Lake Woods and Silver Lake Condominiums (1980’s). These pre-date the PUD ordinance.
Respectfully,
Jon Sevald, AICP
Community Development Director
Item 06A
Page 4 of 4
The Mounds View Vision
A Thriving Desirable Community
ATTACHED
Developer’s Narrative
Ardan Property Concept
Ardan Property Concept 7c
YardHomes Concept
Article; Planning of southeast Willmar tiny home development moves forward with project out for
bids, West Central Tribune (Sep 20, 2022)
Article; Duluth looks to ‘tiny homes’ to help ease housing crunch, MPR News (Dec 6, 2022)
1
“Building Incredible Places Where People Can Live Their Dreams.”
Ardan Site
SUBMITTAL FOR:
PUD, Rezoning and Preliminary Plat
Mounds View, MINNESOTA
April 26, 2023
Introduction
PulteGroup (“Pulte”) is pleased to be submitting this application.
Pulte’s company mission statement is “Building Incredible Places Where People Can Live
Their Dreams.” We currently operate under three distinct brands of homebuilding in the Twin
Cities: Pulte Homes, Centex, and Del Webb. Our office is in Eden Prairie. We have a strong
reputation for our superior floor plans, completion of infill/redevelopment projects, and being
easy to work with.
Team
Pulte will act as developer of the property and builder of the townhomes. The primary contact for
Pulte is Dean Lotter, Manager of Land Planning & Entitlement. Dean’s contact information has
been provided to City staff.
The planner, surveyor, civil engineer, and landscape architect are:
Alliant Engineering
Mark Rausch, Principal
733 Marquette Avenue
Suite 700
Minneapolis, MN 55402
The Property
Property Identification Numbers and addresses if assigned:
Parcel 1: 05-30-23-23-003
8283 Long lake Road
Parcel 2: 05-30-23-23-0032
8271 Long Lake Road
Parcel 3: 05-30-23-23-0020
2
2510 Ardan Avenue
Parcel 4: 05-30-23-23-0021
No Address
Parcel 5: 05-30-23-23-002
No Address
Parcel 6: 05-30-23-23-0023
No Address
Parcel 7: 05-30-23-23-0024
No Address
Parcel 8: 05-30-23-23-0025
No Address
Parcel 9: 05-30-23-23-0026
No Address
Parcel 10: 05-30-23-23-0034
No Address
Parcel 11: 05-30-23-23-0035
No Address
Parcel 12: 05-30-23-23-0059 (only a portion of this parcel)
No Address
Parcel 13: 05-30-23-23-0003 (only a portion of this parcel)
No Address
Key Facts
• Existing zoning R-1
• Proposed zoning R-3
o Max Density allowed 15 units per acre
• Proposed use Townhomes
o Gross acreage 7.811
o Total number of townhomes 75 townhomes
o Gross Density 9.6 units per acre
• Second proposed use Cottage Homes
o Gross acreage 1.5 acres
o Total number of cottage homes 12
o Gross Density 8 units per acre
• Dimensions/Setbacks
o Minimum driveway length/front setback 22 feet
o Minimum distance between buildings 20 feet
o Rear Setback 30 feet
o Rear Setback with Patio 26 feet
• Parking
o Garage stalls = 2/unit
o Driveway stalls = 2/unit
o Guest stalls = 25 stalls
o Total = 325 parking spaces
3
Initial Proposal
When proposals were initially sought by the City Council of Mounds View towards the end of
last year; Pulte had 3 concepts all which proposed townhouses. Total unit count of each
proposal varied greatly from 50 to 74 to 113 townhomes. Since our presentation to the City
Council, we have worked through many different site plans. The more we studied the site and
became familiar with what is known about the soils, site access, floodplain, wetlands, etc we
refined the site plan accordingly. Also of note, the City Council expressed an interest in Pulte
Homes forming a partnership with YardHomes to provide more affordable homes in the
community. This site plan reflects this direction by the City Council. Below are important
elements that have helped shape why we are proposing the current site plan. These items will
be addressed later in this narrative.
• Site Access
• Wetlands
• Creation of wetlands
• Partial Geotech
• Floodplain
• Available property
• Partnering with YardHomes
Site Plan
There are several considerations to contemplate when designing a new neighborhood in
general. Infill neighborhoods have even more nuances of which to be aware. To the immediate
west is Long Lake Road. Pulte is proposing to build townhomes on nearly 8 acres of the land;
while YardHomes is proposing to build 12 Cottage Homes on approximately 1.5 acres of the
land located south of LaPort Drive Right of Way. There are large lot single family homes/lots to
the west, south and southeast of the proposed development site with a wetland areas to the
immediate east. The site is heavily wooded. While there is floodplain present currently, we
would mitigate that floodplain in areas between Hwy 10 and the existing wetlands.
Site Access: Access to the site is proposed to come from Ardan Road off of Long Lake Road.
Originally, we proposed a separate access into the proposed development to come off of Long
Lake Road. City staff met with the County Engineering staff to discuss if this access spacing
was acceptable. City staff informed us that the County did not want an additional access from
Long Lake Road into our development. As a result, we are proposing Ardan Avenue become a
3-lane access off of Long Lake Road so that traffic can flow both into the yard waste site north
of Ardan Avenue and into the newly proposed townhouse neighborhood. None of the townhome
traffic will be able to go southward to LaPort Drive or Woodlawn Drive. YardHomes Cottages will
gain access into and out from the YardHome development via Woodlawn Drive.
Wetland: The fact that there are existing wetlands on the site that we are wanting to preserve
has influenced our site plan as well. Factored into the site plan is additional space where
wetlands could be created by the city for banking purposes. A wetland delineation was
completed by the city this past summer and that information was very helpful and informative to
our site plan.
Geotech Information: There were several borings drilled previously, the information of the soils
provided by these borings impacted our site plan access. We eliminated the LaPort Drive
4
connection to Long Lake Road for example. This connection wouldn’t be feasible for a couple of
reasons, poor soils being one of them. These borings also helped us understand that we
needed to shift the townhome development further west than we originally depicted in our initial
proposal. As we move forward, we plan to have additional borings drilled so we have a
comprehensive understanding of the soils in all areas of the development.
Traffic: No doubt the new development will generate traffic. We will continue to work with the
City’s Public Works Director to sign the Long Lake Road/Ardan Avenue access point.
Tree Preservation: Preserving this natural buffer between our new neighborhood and existing
neighborhoods generally helps with screening one neighborhood from the other. We will work
with the City Forester to identify and preserve as many significant trees as possible. We will also
be providing a landscaping plan for the new neighborhood as well.
Trails: The extensive trail system as it is shown on the site plan was designed to provide a
walking experience near and around much of the natural area of the site. Residents of both new
and existing neighborhoods will be able to enjoy this amenity.
Neighborhood Meeting: A neighborhood meeting was held on April 20, 2023 at city hall. It was
a well-attended meeting. The issues that were mentioned included, but aren’t limited to the
following:
• Traffic – Pulte and YardHomes will continue to work with the city staff on studying the
impacts of traffic from the development. Many concerns had to do with speeding by
current users of Long Lake Road which we would have no control over. Development of
this site will add traffic counts to the roads no question, we can further review those
impacts as mentioned above.
• Stormwater Mgmt, Floodplain and Wetlands – Concerns were raised about the
floodplain in this area. Concerns also revolved around the handling of storm water with
several claims made that the proposed development would worsen stormwater issues
for surrounding properties. Our engineers are experienced at creating designs that will
mitigate floodplain, preserve wetland and comply with storm water management rules
and regulations.
• Environmental/Wildlife – Concerns about displacement of wildlife due to development.
While development is occurring on just over 9 acres of the site; more than 50% of the
site will stay preserved as wetlands, created wetlands and floodplain.
• Property Values – Residents expressed concerns about property values being
negatively affected by this proposed development. The value of the townhomes being
proposed will enhance surrounding property values. The market value of the townhomes
being sold in this development will sell for high $300k’s to mid $500k’s.
• Townhome Rentals – A question was asked about whether we rent our townhomes.
Pulte does not build rental townhomes in the State of Minnesota. We build townhomes
and sell to private buyers that intend to live in the townhomes.
• Off Street Parking – Pulte provides ample guest parking in its townhome
neighborhoods. Along with 2 garage stalls for owners, each driveway will provide for 2
guest parking stalls with an additional 25 off-street stalls for a total of 325 parking spaces
to service the 75 townhomes and their guests.
5
• YardHomes Design – There was some neighborhood feedback regarding how
accessible the YardHomes would be to seniors, parking access and heating sources.
This portion of the site plan will continue to be refined to address senior and parking
accessibility.
Townhome Design and HOA
Pulte Homes is known for the extraordinary steps that we take to ensure that we are designing
and building homes that meet the everchanging needs and desires of home buyers. We
continually reach out to the public and Pulte homeowners to get feedback to improve our home
designs. We call this Life Tested®. Through this intensive process, we have conceived of and
incorporated many innovative home design features such as the Pulte Planning Center,
Everyday Entry, Super Laundry, Oversized Pantry, and the Owner’s Retreat. This exhaustive
process has played a major part in Pulte’s success in “Building Incredible Places Where People
Can Live Their Dreams.”
We will create a homeowner’s association (HOA) which will provide lawn care, snow removal,
and building exterior maintenance. This type of home appeals to singles and first-time home
buying families. We also find that approximately 30% of the buyers of this home are empty nesters
for a variety of reasons. First, they are attracted to the lawn maintenance and snow removal
provided by the HOA. Second, empty nesters are attracted to the smaller square footage as they
desire a smaller home to live in and to maintain. Third, the open and flexible floor plans and
options such as a sunroom have been very appealing to this demographic group. Combined,
these traits have led this home to be very popular among empty nesters.
Pulte Townhomes
Guided for medium density we believe our two-story townhomes would not just meet the
intended guidance for the site but complement the existing uses adjacent to and across the
street from this site. The appearance and height of the two-story townhome is entirely consistent
with the single-family and the other twin and townhomes in this area.
Townhomes will start at approximately 1,850 to 2,020 square feet of finished living space. A
popular option among empty nesters is the two-story addition to the rear of the home which
adds a sunroom to the first floor and a sitting room in the master bedroom on the second floor.
Depending on what options are chosen, anticipated townhome prices will range from high
$300k’s to the mid $500k’s. Our customers appreciate this range of customization.
The number of homes within each building will vary from four to six. Every home will have a two-
car garage with space in the driveway for two additional cars. Our proposal also includes off-
street guest parking as well.
We have placed considerable effort on the architecture of the homes. Front facades are
individualized and stylized with varying windows, gables, shutters, materials, dormers, and roof
lines. The use of shakes and banding boards serve as strong accents. Side elevations present a
variety of roof lines and siding materials/patterns. Rear elevations also present a similar
combination of interesting and varied features and colors. Architectural drawings are included
with our submittal.
6
Energy Efficiency
The homes that Pulte will be constructing will have extremely high energy efficiency. Each home
is tested using the Home Energy Rating System (HERS) index, which is the industry standard
for measuring energy efficiency. Heating, cooling, and water heating constitute the largest cost
of homeownership outside of the mortgage. The U.S. Department of Energy has determined
that a typical resale home scores 130 on the HERS Index while a home built to the 2004
International Energy Conservation Code is awarded a rating of 100 (lower is more energy
efficient). Pulte Homes measures the HERS score of every new home constructed. The average
HERS score for our homes is runs in the range of 47 to 53. We are building extremely energy
efficient homes that dramatically exceed the International Energy Conservation Code threshold.
YardHomes
YardHomes is proposing to build 12 cottage homes on the very southern portion of the
development. More specifically these cottages will be developed and built immediately south of
the LaPort Drive ROW. Access to the YardHomes will come from Woodlawn Drive. Trail
connections will be made between the Pulte neighborhood and the YardHomes neighborhood
so all can enjoy this amenity. YardHomes will be single-family owner-occupied homes that will
range from 640 square feet to 825 square feet. These homes are single level and are
anticipated to sell at around $200,000 per unit. A trail would meander through the neighborhood
and connect with the larger trail system in the overall development. It’s proposed that there
would be on-site community gardens for the residents to utilize.
Land Acquisition
At the time of this narrative being drafted Pulte has been able to get all of the private parcels
needed for this development to occur under contract. We have looked at the cost associated
with developing the YardHomes site. While there are many factors that impact housing costs,
and cost is one of the biggest factors driving housing costs. To meet the City Council goal of
keeping the cottage homes affordable, Pulte would be subsidizing the development costs by
$200,000. Pulte would like to break even on these development costs. It is our hopes that when
the EDA meets to discuss the sale of the city parcels to Pulte that this economic reality is
contemplated and reflected in the pre-development agreement sales price.
Summary
The Ardan Site is a proposed neighborhood of townhomes by Pulte Homes and cottage homes
by YardHomes. It’s our understanding that the City Council will review this concept plan at their
May 1st worksession, the planning commission at their May 3rd worksession and the parks
commission at their May 25th meeting. We look forward to your feedback. Pulte and YardHomes
are planning to submit a formal land use application mid-summer of 2023. We look forward to
working with the City Commissions, Council and staff as this application moves forward through
the review process. Thank you for your consideration.
M
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W
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1
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WOODLAWN DRA
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WETLAND
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WETLAND
F
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GARDENS
STORMWATER MGMT.
VACATED R.O.W.
STORMWATER
MGMT.
VACATED R.O.W.
4/13/2023
ZONE AH(ELEVATION 901)ZONE X
(0.2% FLOOD
CHANCE)ZONE X(<0.2% FLOODCHANCE)1.5 ac18.97 acMCCR 45 / LONG LAKE RD
EDGEWOOD DRLAPORT DRARDAN AVEVacate RWLKUS HWY 10JSWMIHWOODLAWN DR AVacate RWGWETLANDDWETLANDFONESWMBFLDPN. MIT.FLDPN. MIT.RW to REMAINPRIVATEFIREPITPOSSIBLEWETLANDBANKPOSSIBLEWETLANDBANK121110987654321RW733 Marquette Ave, Ste 700Minneapolis, MN 55402612.758.3080 612.758.3099www.alliant-inc.comMAINFAXSITE DATAINCLUDED PROPERTY (PER COUNTY GIS):-PID=053023230059 (10.05 AC)-PID=053023230003 (1.03 AC)-PID=053023230033 (0.89 AC)-PID=053023230020 (0.89 AC)-PID=053023230021 (0.68 AC)-PID=053023230022 (0.68 AC)-PID=053023230023 (0.68 AC)-PID=053023230024 (0.75 AC)-PID=053023230025 (0.75 AC)-PID=053023230026 (0.82 AC)-PID=053023230034 (0.82 AC)-PID=053023230035 (0.68 AC)-ROW VACATION=(±1.75 AC)TOTAL AREA = 20.47 ac PER COUNTY GISFUTURE AREA = 0.68 acFUTURE TOTAL - 21.15 ac PULTE 24' WIDE TOWNHOMES: 75YardHomes HOMES:6-12TOTAL HOMES: 81-87TOTAL ROADWAY LENGTH: PUBLIC LOCAL (30' BB, 60'/66' RW):170 LFPUBLIC (38' B-B):280 LFPRIVATE (24' B-B : 1452 LF (TH)PRIVATE (22' B-B);120 LFPRIVATE (24' +):212 LF (YH)CONCEPT LAYOUT PULTE ROWHOMES-MIN DIST. PROVIDED BETWEEN BUILDINGS: 20'-22' MIN.DRIVEWAY LENGTH-24' PRIVATE STREET WIDTH (BACK-BACK TYP)-22' PRIVATE/PUBLIC TURNAROUND WIDTH (BB)PARKING-9'x18' OFF-STREET PARKING STALLS: 25-DRIVEWAY PARKING STALLS:2/ROWHOME-GARAGE PARKING STALLS: 2/ROWHOME-TOTAL OFF-STREET PARKING: 325 STALLSWETLANDS: DEPICTION PER DELIN TRACEPOSSIBLE WETLAND BANK: 95,002 SF / 2.18 ACLEGENDDEVELOPMENT BOUNDARYEX. WETLAND (DELIN. TRACE)PROP. PROPERTY LINES, BUILDINGS, ETCPROP. STORMWATER MANAGEMENT AREAPROP.ROAD BACK/CURBPROP.PAVEMENT STRIPING (PUBLIC ROAD)FEMA LIMITSPULTE TOWNHOMESYardHomes HOMESFLOOD PLAIN LIMIT (902.2 EST PER LIDAR)+PROPOSED FLOOD PLAIN FILLFLOODPLAIN MITIGATION AREAPROPOSED WETLAND BANK AREAPUBLIC TRAILDATE: 4-4-23-YH SITE PLANARDAN PROPERTY - CONCEPT 7cMOUNDS VIEW, MINNESOTA
1.5 acWOODLAWN DR Vacate RWSWM121110987654321RW
A concept plan for the tiny home development being proposed in southeast Willmar by
developer and real estate agent Justin Pa rath shows 12 tiny homes — some one-bedroom
units, some with a bunk or o ice area downstairs with a bedroom upstairs, and some two-
bedroom units. All will have one bathroom, and the garages are in the center of the
development.Contributed / Justin Pa rath
By Jennifer Kotila
September 20, 2022 at 6:04 AM
Share News reporting
WILLMAR(https://www.wctrib.com/places/willmar) — The
developer of what is thought to be the first tiny home development
in the region has the southeast Willmar project out for bids.
Justin Paffrath, also a real estate agent, spoke last week to the
Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar Economic Development
Commission to share the inspiration behind his development, as
well as concept plans of how the development will be laid out.
NEWS LOCAL
Planning of southeast Willmar tiny home
development moves forward with project out
for bids
Plans for a tiny home development in the city of Willmar are moving forward with the
developer seeking bids. The sale of city land was approved in August, and the developer
shared concept plans Thursday with the Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar Economic
Development Commission.
Paffrath agreed with EDC Executive Director Aaron Backman that
this would likely be the first tiny home development in the region if
everything comes together as planned.
Paffrath spoke Sept. 8 with the EDC's Joint Operations Board and
said he would be meeting the next day with Willmar Municipal
Utilities and the Willmar city engineer to go over what they would
like to see for the development.
It will be located on three city lots on the north side of Pleasantview
Drive Southeast just west of the intersection with 15th Street
Southeast, behind Giovanni’s Pizza. The Willmar City Council
approved the land sale at its Aug. 1 meeting.
April 22, 2023 05:34 AM
April 14, 2023 11:21 AM
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There will be 12 separate units, and it is intended to be a common
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Foxhole Brewhouse, TJ Maxx receive building
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association with declarations, covenants, restrictions and bylaws,
Paffrath told the EDC.
“I’m in real estate selling houses, and I see a need and an issue with
our monetary system and the cost of things, of housing,” Paffrath
said of why he is creating this development. “The only way to get
things affordable is to get really efficient with the size of a
structure.”
He used Ikea sample layouts as an example of compact living
space, noting Ikea’s sample floor layouts are in areas as small as
300 square feet.
“I could live there; everything I need is right there — bathroom,
kitchen, living space, entry — it’s all there. All you need to do is just
loft or go a little bit bigger for a bedroom, and that’s effectively
what this is,” he said.
As for what inspired him to pursue this development, Paffrath said
he was at a real estate convention, and one of the “Realtor of the
year” nominees was a man who focused on tiny home communities
for veterans.
He explained the difference between what that man was doing and
what he is doing is that his development is geared more toward the
private sector, noting there are a lot of tiny home developments
taking place throughout the country.
He also said that a key to being successful is finding little pockets of
real estate that can be inexpensive enough to keep land costs down,
but be close to city infrastructure.
“It’s going to be difficult to just build them one at a time because of
the amount of infrastructure that is required to support them all as
a building project,” Paffrath said, noting he will likely pre-sell
about half the units in order to begin the project. Once started, he
hopes to have the development completed in two to four months,
he added.
Each building and a little bit of property will have its own property
identification number that will also be attached to a garage in the
bay of garages, he said. The rest of the development will be
common areas.
This scale drawing shows the number of homes and amount of space each unit will have
within the tiny home development being planned by developer and real estate agent Justin
Pa rath. The development will be located on three city lots on the north side of
Pleasantview Drive Southeast just west of the intersection with 15th Street Southeast,
behind Giovanniʼs Pizza.Contributed / Justin Pa rath, Realtor
“It’s kind of fun, too, because we positioned them in a way where
they are not stacked in there like sardines and you’re looking out
windows into other people’s living rooms,” Paffrath said of the
arrangement of the units. “They are all at an angle, so they are all
going to have these different vantage points. The scenery around
the area is really advantageous.”
The base model for the development is a one-bedroom unit.
“I think when it comes to the biggest bang for your buck, if you will,
or cost-effectiveness, I think the other two plans are probably going
to be the strategy,” he said.
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One plan will have a bunk room or office on the main floor with the
bedroom upstairs, and the other is a two-bedroom unit. Units will
have one bathroom and be lofted with accent beams to give it a
downtown loft feel, Paffrath explained.
Units can be owner-occupied or be rental units for the purchaser.
“There’s a part of me that would like to see some area nonprofits
get involved and maybe purchase one … for people in need of
housing,” he said.
He mentioned they could be used as transitional housing for
homeless people, or for people in need of temporary housing, such
as church missionaries or out-of-town consultants coming to work
with local businesses.
“I could see people retiring off the farm and living in something
like this; it’s minimal,” he continued. “I can see snowbirds enjoying
something like this that they are only going to stay in for half the
year. Because they are small, they are going to be easy to manage
and maintain.
“I’d love to see it happen. I’ve been working on it for like, two
years,” he said, noting previous city administration and staff were
not enthusiastic about this project.
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Housing
Duluth looks to 'tiny homes' to help ease housing crunch
Dan Kraker Duluth December 6, 2022 4:00 AM
A tiny home under construction in Duluth’s East Hillside neighborhood is seen on Thursday.
Duluth has recently changed its rules to encourage the construction of tiny homes.Ben
Hovland | MPR News
On a busy street in Duluth's Central Hillside neighborhood back in
October, developer Sean Dixon stood in front of the pilot “tiny home”
he’s building and described its interior. It didn’t take long.
"So, we have 175 square feet, with a sleeping loft, single bathroom and
then a kitchen and living room area," he said.
The home is built on piers, a few feet off the ground on a very narrow,
sloped lot in between two older homes. Dixon hopes to rent it to
traveling nurses who come to work at one of the city's two hospitals
located a few blocks down the hill.
He knows it’s not for everyone. But he believes there’s a market for his
bare-bones, eco-friendly vision.
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“De nitely a minimalist. Someone who's only going to be here for a
short amount of time, who just needs good living quarters that are safe
and functional. Or somebody who really enjoys the outdoors and
doesn't want to spend a lot of time indoors.”
Dixon runs a company called Simply Tiny Development. He's from
Denver. But he was lured to Duluth more than three years ago when the
city offered assistance to developers who agreed to pilot innovative
housing projects on hard-to-build-on lots, like this one.
"Duluth really relaxed its standards and codes, and the new policies
that the city set up allows for an easier route for adoption for tiny
homes," Dixon said.
Sean Dixon, owner of Denver-based Simply Tiny Development, stands outside of the
175-square foot "tiny home" he's building in Duluth's Central Hillside neighborhood.
He hopes to rent it to travel nurses who work at nearby hospitals.Dan Kraker | MPR
News
This home is one of a few new projects in Duluth — ranging from a
development of 18 workforce housing units to a pair of small units
geared toward veterans experiencing homelessness — featuring very
small, compact homes.
They're not all, technically, "tiny homes," which are less than 400
square feet in size.
But they’re part of a broader trend of building more affordable, more
ef cient, and much smaller homes to help ease the housing supply
crunch that’s hitting communities like Duluth and beyond.
That trend is much more advanced in states like California, said Jamie
Stolpestad, who co-owns a company called YardHomes MN, which built
the two small homes to house veterans in Duluth. But Minnesota is now
beginning to follow in their footsteps.
"I would say at the moment, the aspiration for this sort of smaller, more
ef cient home is greater than the actual implementation," Stolpestad.
“But the implementation is catching up.”
The Aerial Lift Bridge is seen from East 7th Street in Duluth on Thursday.Ben
Hovland | MPR News
Compact dwellings
Duluth has made several changes to its zoning and building policies to
foster the development of more “compact dwellings,” as Stolpestad
prefers to call them.
The goal is to meet a huge demand for housing of all types, in all sectors
and all categories, said Adam Fulton, Duluth’s planning and economic
development director.
“When you're trying to shape an economy that's good for the entire
population, you've got people in different parts of their lives that want
different sizes of houses,” he said.
“And we don't have that in Duluth. Our houses tend to be a little bit
older, and a little bit more uniform. Many constructed pre-World War
II. And so, our goal here is to create as many opportunities as possible to
expand the housing stock.”
One way the city has done that is to allow developers to build narrower
homes on city lots.
Three years ago, the city also changed its zoning code to allow what are
known as “cottage home park developments,” essentially clusters of
compact homes grouped together on a single parcel of land.
Earlier this year, the city’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority broke
ground on a project called Fairmount Cottages on the western side of
Duluth. It includes 18 small one and two bedroom homes, or "cottages,"
620 and 720 square feet, clustered together in two groups of homes,
divided by a ravine that’s crossed by a pedestrian bridge.
It’s designed to be a mixed-income development, geared toward
families making between 50 and 100 percent of the area median
income, up to nearly $80,000 for a family of three.
"It really promotes a sense of community,” said executive director Jill
Keppers.
“These houses will actually face inwards; their porches will face the
interior of the development. There'll be trails that interconnect them to
each other. It'll just be this nice little community where people can
really develop that sense of being of being neighbors."
A tiny home Duluth’s East Hillside neighborhood is seen on Thursday. They are more
affordable and ef cient in helping the housing crisis. Ben Hovland | MPR News
Fulton said the concept is similar to the Milwaukee Avenue Historic
District in the Seward neighborhood in Minneapolis.
But this type of development is not allowed under many city zoning
codes around the state, which encourage more suburban-scale
residential development. Fulton said a typical development approach
would have only allowed for three or four houses on the site.
Aaron Schweiger, managing director of the Duluth-based real estate
development company Zenith Asset Management, said there’s a stigma
around so-called tiny homes that still needs to be overcome.
Schweiger said he’s approached Twin Cities bedroom communities
with projects similar to Duluth’s Fairmount Cottages, and said, "‘Hey,
we'd like to build in your community, we've got this really cool concept.’
And they tell us ‘Thanks, but no thanks.’”
Schweiger had planned to build a cottage development on a rocky
outcropping in Duluth known as the Point of Rocks, but that project is
on hold because of an easement dispute with neighbors.
He's now working on a different project in Hinckley. A different
developer has proposed a similar development in the works in Willmar
in west-central Minnesota.
Schweiger said developers are increasingly intrigued by tiny home
developments because they’re less expensive to build than a more
traditional apartment building and so they can offer more amenities.
“If we build a typical shoebox-style building,” he said, “you’re talking
$250,000 a unit in today’s prices — if you’re lucky, being cheap —
where we could build a tiny home, at cost, for $150,000 a unit.”
Schweiger believes cities around Minnesota should start to think of
compact, smaller homes as creative, affordable workforce housing that
can help grow their communities.
"You can start a family there. It's not going to break the bank. You get a
yard.” It’s the “American dream” again,” he said.
Two 500 square foot homes were recently installed on a vacant lot in Duluth on
Monday to provide housing for veterans experiencing homelessness.Courtesy of
Jamie Stoplestad from YardHomes MN
Changing rules
Until a couple years ago developers in Minnesota couldn't even build
houses smaller than 400 square feet.
But in 2020, Stolpestad explained, the state residential building code
was amended to allow them, as long as they’re connected to sewer and
water and built on a frost-protected foundation.
In other states, “tiny homes” are often built on wheels, and can be
transported from place to place.
Stolpestad’s company builds prefabricated homes that typically are
placed in someone’s backyard. Cities refer to them as “accessory
dwelling units.” They’re often referred to as “granny ats.”
Until about 2006, he said, local governments didn’t allow them. Now,
37 cities and counties permit their use, including Minneapolis, St. Paul
and Duluth.
That’s the rule that permitted the placement of two small homes in
Duluth to house veterans, a partnership with the Minnesota Assistance
Council for Veterans.
There are other challenges. In Duluth, developer Sean Dixon
encountered delays and unexpected costs in hooking up his tiny house
to city sewer and water.
Some neighbors have bristled at new development on lots that have
long sat vacant, and questioned the projects’ impacts on property
values.
And while the cost of building smaller homes is of course smaller,
Fulton said other costs, including utilities and permitting, are the same.
Still, as developers and lenders become more comfortable with the
concept of tiny homes, Fulton only expects the trend to grow.
“We've had lots of inquiries; I would expect that we will see more of it.
We’re just trying to make sure that we are providing as many
opportunities as we can across the board for new housing in Duluth,”
he said.
Until a couple years ago developers in Minnesota couldn't even build houses smaller
than 400 square feet. Now, 37 cities allow it.Ben Hovland | MPR News
Supreme Court seems to tilt strongly toward Minneapolis woman in
property rights case
A Minneapolis woman didn't pay taxes. Now her house is focus of
property rights test case
$50 million infusion will shore up emergency assistance for
Minnesotans on cusp of homelessness
DRAFT
PROCEEDINGS OF THE MOUNDS VIEW PLANNING COMMISSION
CITY OF MOUNDS VIEW
RAMSEY COUNTY, MINNESOTA
Regular Meeting
April 19, 2023
Mounds View City Hall
2401 Mounds View Boulevard, Mounds View, MN 55112
______________________________________________________________________________
1. Call to Order
The meeting was called to order by Chair Rundle at 6:30 p.m. for April 19, 2023.
______________________________________________________________________________
2. Roll Call
Members Present: Commissioners Curtis, Farmer, Munson, Nelson, Rundle, Stevenson and
Urlacher.
Absent and Excused: None.
Also Present: Community Development Director Jon Sevald, City Administrator Nyle
Zikmund and Council Member Gary Meehlhause.
______________________________________________________________________________
Index to Minutes Page
Resolution 1159-23, Recommending Approval of the Preliminary 2
Plat, and Final Plat of Long Lake Cove at 7700 Long Lake Road
Resolution 1158-23, Recommending Approval of Ordinance 999, 3
Amending Mounds View City Code Chapter 181, Signs and Billboards
Approval of Minutes 6
_____________________________________________________________________________
3. Special Order of Business
A. Oath of Office, Commissioner Amber Urlacher
Community Development Director Sevald administered the oath of office to Commissioner
Amber Urlacher and welcomed her to the Planning Commission.
Chair Rundle welcomed Commissioner Urlacher to the Mounds View Planning Commission.
Mounds View Planning Commission April 19, 2023
Regular Meeting Page 2
________________________________________________________________________
4. Citizens Requests and Comments on Items Not on the Agenda
None.
______________________________________________________________________________
5. Planning Cases
A. Resolution 1159-23, Recommending Approval of the Preliminary Plat, and
Final Plat of Long Lake Cove at 7700 Long Lake Road
Community Development Director Sevald stated a Concept Plan for a Planned Unit
Development (PUD) with duplexes (6-8 units total) was presented to the City Council on August
1, 2022, and to the Planning Commission on August 3, 2022, and January 18, 2023. The
Commission’s comments included; turnaround for delivery trucks, additional yard space, units
along Long Lake Road should face the street, additional landscaping, and support for R-4 zoning
vs. PUD.
Community Development Director Sevald explained the project has been redesigned to preserve
the existing home, and add two single-family lots (3 units total). The previous City Council and
Planning Commission comments are no longer applicable to the current plan for single-family
lots. Accessory buildings will be removed. A commercial kennel has been located on this
property since 1948. The plan set, dated March 2023, incorrectly shows duplexes on Lots 1 and
3. The plat will be corrected to show single-family, to be consistent with the Comprehensive
Plan and current zoning. Staff’s review is ongoing, but staff feels comfortable enough to forward
the plat to the Planning Commission, if corrections can be made prior to City Council approval.
It was noted a Public Hearing is tentatively planned for May 8, 2023.
Commissioner Curtis commented on the utility plan and asked where the private utilities would
be located. Community Development Director Sevald reviewed the location of the private
utilities pipes. Further discussion ensued regarding the location of the proposed driveways.
Commissioner Nelson believed it was a problem to have two lots sharing one sanitary sewer line.
He recommended to separate sewer lines be used for the lots sharing a driveway. Community
Development Director Sevald commented he would make a note of this and would speak with
the City Engineer further regarding this matter.
Commissioner Stevenson asked what would happen to the existing home.
Ford Wagner, 8650 136th Avenue North in Hugo, reported this was being discussed and noted his
intent at this time was to rehab the existing home in order to sell it. He explained he was the
developer and he would be selling the two new lots to a builder.
Commissioner Stevenson stated he liked this plan much better than the previous plan, which
included twinhomes.
Mounds View Planning Commission April 19, 2023
Regular Meeting Page 3
________________________________________________________________________
Chair Rundle agreed.
Jeff Westlund, 7720 Long Lake Road, stated he was trying to learn about the proposed
development and what the next steps would be. He commented on how the property line was
heavily treed and he was hoping the trees in this area would remain in place.
Community Development Director Sevald explained a tree survey was completed and noted only
one high value tree would be lost on the lot adjacent to Westlund. He indicated there would be
other tree loss in order to create two separate building pads.
Community Development Director Sevald discussed the process that would be followed for this
request, noting the neighbors would be notified of a public hearing, which he believed would be
held in May.
MOTION/SECOND: Commissioner Nelson/Commissioner Stevenson. To approve Resolution
1159-23, a Resolution Recommending Approval of the Preliminary Plat and Final Plat of Long
Lake Cove at 7700 Long Lake Road recommended the utility line be separated.
Ayes – 7 Nays – 0 Motion carried.
B. Resolution 1158-23, Recommending Approval of Ordinance 999, Amending
Mounds View City Code Chapter 181, Signs and Billboards
Community Development Director Sevald stated in recent months, The North Church and The
Bear Lot have expressed a desire to install signs exceeding permitted limits. The City Council
discussed at their February and April Work Sessions, directing Staff to prepare an Ordinance
Amendment, and to revisit the County Road 10 Corridor Overlay District requirements. The sign
amendment can be done quickly. The Overlay district will take some time. It was noted staff
investigated how other cities regulate both signs and billboards. Staff commented further on the
proposed signs and billboards Ordinance amendment and recommended approval.
Commissioner Stevenson stated signs on top of buildings were regulated to ensure inflatables
were not placed on the top of a building. He noted the proposed Ordinance amendment was
something slightly different.
Commissioner Nelson asked what the dimensions would be for The Bear Lot sign. Community
Development Director Sevald explained right now their sign was 86 square feet and they were
asking for 300 square feet plus the bear.
Community Development Director Sevald questioned if the Commission supported changing the
size of wall signs from 100 square feet to 200 square feet.
Mounds View Planning Commission April 19, 2023
Regular Meeting Page 4
________________________________________________________________________
Commissioner Farmer asked if some sort of ratio should be used for wall signs. Community
Development Director Sevald reported this type of formula was more fair, but put more onus on
the building owner. He commented on how he liked having specific square footage in place
because this ensured murals were not painted onto an entire building wall.
Commissioner Stevenson suggested the language allow for up to 200 square feet or no more than
40% of the wall surface for wall signs. Community Development Director Sevald explained this
language would be similar to the City of New Brighton ordinance.
The consensus of the Commission was to support the proposed change for wall signs allowing up
to 200 square feet for wall signs ,or no more than 40% of the wall surface, whichever is smaller.
Community Dev elopment Director Sevald requested further comment regarding projection and
roof signs.
Commissioner Nelson stated he supported projection and roof signs being 10 feet tall. The
Commission was in agreement.
Community Dev elopment Director Sevald requested feedback on how masonry on monument
signs should be addressed.
Commissioner Nelson was of the opinion the BioLife sign had the proper brick base, as an
example.
Commissioner Munson reported she supported requiring landscaping surrounding the masonry
work on monument signs.
The Commission supported all monument signs have a brick or masonry base. In addition, the
Commission supported allowing ground signs to be 16 feet tall.
Community Dev elopment Director Sevald discussed the regulations in place for temporary non-
commercial signs. He stated the recommendation was any number of signs with a combined size
of 9 square feet, and no campaign signs are allowed in the right of way.
The Commission supported the language as stated for temporary non-commercial signs.
Community Dev elopment Director Sevald questioned how the Commission wanted to proceed
with The Bear Lot bear sign.
Commissioner Stevenson suggested signs like this come before the Commission for a variance.
He did not support any building have any inflatable on their roof.
Commissioner Nelson agreed this type of sign should come before the Commission for special
consideration. He asked if the Mermaid sign could be reinstalled. Community Development
Mounds View Planning Commission April 19, 2023
Regular Meeting Page 5
________________________________________________________________________
Director Sevald stated this sign was a non-conforming use and because it has been removed from
the building for more than a year, it could not be put back in place.
Commissioner Stevenson stated he saw the Mermaid and the White Bear more as an architectural
element than a sign.
Community Dev elopment Director Sevald asked if the Commission supported temporary signs
on the roof of a building up to a ten foot height.
Commissioner Stevenson stated he could support this, but did not support temporary inflatables
being located on the roof of buildings. The Commission was in agreement.
MOTION/SECOND: Commissioner Nelson/Commissioner Stevenson. To approve Resolution
1158-23, a Resolution Recommending Approval of Ordinance 999, Amending Mounds View
City Code Chapter 181, Signs and Billboards as discussed.
Ayes – 7 Nays – 0 Motion carried.
6. Other Planning Activity
None.
7. Approval of Minutes
February 15, 2023.
Commissioner Farmer requested a change to Page 3 stating he would like his comment to reflect
mixed use might happen gradually over time and it might not look like previous mixed use
developments.
MOTION/SECOND: Commissioner Curtis/Commissioner Munson. To approve the Minutes of
the February 15, 2023 regular Planning Commission meetings as amended.
Ayes – 7 Nays – 0 Motion carried.
8. Reports
A. Upcoming Planning Cases & Activity
Community Dev elopment Director Sevald discussed upcoming planning cases with the
Commission. He commented on a neighborhood meeting that would be held for a 75 unit
Mounds View Planning Commission April 19, 2023
Regular Meeting Page 6
________________________________________________________________________
townhome and 12 tiny home development that Pulte Homes and Yard Homes was working on
collaboratively. It was noted this meeting would be held on Thursday, April 20.
B. Staff Updates
Community Dev elopment Director Sevald provided the Commission with an update from staff.
Staff commented on a news article from the Star Tribune noting the City of St. Paul was
proposing to allow multi-family everywhere single family was allowed. Further discussion
ensued regarding how this may or may not work for the City of Mounds View. Community
Development Director Sevald explained he would like for the Commission to have a deeper
discussion on this topic at a future meeting.
City Administrator Zikmund reported three public meetings had been schedule for May 31 at
10:00 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. to address the topic of organized garbage collection. He
explained the City Council would be holding a public hearing on this topic on June 26.
City Administrator Zikmund provided the Commission with an update on the Community
Center. He explained the Senate tax bill was likely to have the local sales tax bill and the
bonding bill was in the process for consideration next year. He indicated a property tax levy for
the Community Center could also be considered by the Council, but this would have to be voter
approved. He reported the Council would be conducting a survey in May or June regarding the
Community Center in order to assist with gathering information from the public. He explained if
the Council receives State bonding, the Council would have to determine if the voters should
vote on the Community Center this year or next year.
C. Council Updates
Council Member Meehlhause provided the Planning Commission with an update from the City
Council. He explained the Council passed a Resolution supporting the possibility of a local sales
tax, in order to have the State Legislator consider a bill. He stated the bonding bill has been
presented in the Senate Capital Investment Committee and City representatives testified at that
meeting. He commented further on the plans for the Community Center which included three
additional gyms, which would assist the City in hosting basketball or volleybal l tournaments. He
reported the City has been in contact with the National Sports Center to see if they were
expanding their indoor gym services and the City was told they were not.
Council Member Meehlhause welcomed Commissioner Urlacher to the Planning Commission.
He noted the Council recently recognized Jason French for his years of service on the Planning
Commission.
Council Member Meehlhause reported Police Chief Nate Harder recently retired for health
reasons. He explained the City Council has appointed Assistant Chief Ben Zender as the new
Police Chief. He noted Finance Director Mark Beer has announced his retirement, which would
occur in September and noted the City was seeking candidates for this position.
Mounds View Planning Commission April 19, 2023
Regular Meeting Page 7
________________________________________________________________________
Council Member Meehlhause stated the Council recently approved an Ordinance that would
allow residents to have up to 12 chickens or ducks. It was noted the Council was considering
organized garbage collection.
Council Member Meehlhause updated the Commission on the location and condition of the
City’s six stormwater ponds. He commented further on the discussion the Council held regarding
the sign ordinance and noted the Council reviewed the first draft of the 2024 budget.
City Administrator Zikmund discussed the work that would be done on the watershed district
ditches.
D. Planning Commissioner Reports
None.
9. Next Planning Commission Meeting:
A. Wednesday, May 3, 2023
B. Wednesday, May 17, 2023
______________________________________________________________________________
10. Adjournment
There being no further business before the Planning Commission, Chair Rundle adjourned the
meeting at 8:31 p.m.
______________________________________________________________________________
Respectfully submitted,
Jon Sevald
Community Development Director
Transcribed by:
Heidi Guenther
Minute Maker Secretarial