Planners eye 1,000-plus-unit development
for SE 'Trista

by Amanda Schwarze, Staff Writer, The Laker, Sun Patroit Newspapers

April 9, 2010 - The review process is about to begin for a large housing development in Minnetrista.

Woodland Cove is a proposed development of 1,071 residential units that would be situated near Kings Point Road on about 490 acres of land. Minnetrista Senior City Planner Breanne Rothstein said of those units, 589 are planned as single-family homes, 367 are planned as townhomes or twinhomes and 115 are planned to be multi-family housing.

The development is just beginning the formal application phase so many details have yet to be defined. The Minnetrista Park Commission is scheduled to discuss the proposed park plan for Woodland Cove April 13 at 7 p.m. at city hall.

According to the developer's executive summary on the project, about 140 acres of the development area would be kept as permanent open space and of that amount, nearly 46 acres are in a wooded area. The summary also notes that more than 44 percent of trees in the Maple and Basswood forest will be preserved. The developer is also planning to have 73 acres for public parks, trails and open space.

After the park commission, the Minnetrista Planning Commission will meet April 26 at 7 p.m. at city hall to talk about the proposal. Rothstein said that meeting will include an informal public hearing so residents can give their input on the plan.

Rothstein said the 1,071 units is the minimum amount of density allowed for this area of the city. In areas of the city that currently have sewer service, the city is required to develop at a rate of 2.2 units per net acre. Phyllis Hanson from the Metropolitan Council's Community Development Division said that the Met Council has density requirements in place to ensure efficient services. The sewer system was expensive infrastructure for the Met Council to provide, said Bonnie Kollodge who works for the Met Council, so they want to make sure it's used in an efficient manner.

Hanson said that Minnetrista is the only city in the metropolitan area that has ever received a 2.2 units per net acre requirement. All other cities, she said, were required to develop at 3 units per net acre. If Minnetrista extends sewer service, Hanson said, the city will then also be at the 3 units per net acre density requirement.

Rothstein said the Woodland Cove developer participated in a visioning process with the city council and park and planning commissions before beginning this review.

She said that process allowed the three panels to work with the developer during the design process and to communicate what they wanted to see in the development, like environmental features and buffers.

Rothstein said that, if the proposal is approved, the developer plans to phase construction over 10 years. However, it will likely take some time before a final decision on the development is reached. The developer is just starting the concept plan and after this round of reviews, the preliminary plat round of reviews will begin.

More information about the Woodland Cove development, including a map of the area, the developer's executive summary and a site plan, can be found on the city's Web site at www.ci.minnetrista.mn.us. On the homepage, click on the tab to the left of the page marked city departments and info and then on the link titled planning and building department and then on the link for current development information.

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