Out in western Hennepin County, Minnetrista keeps lining up land for new neighborhoods, and the next piece is up for a regional vote this month.
On Monday, Oct. 19, the Metropolitan Council's Community Development Committee is scheduled to take up a Minnetrista comprehensive plan amendment for the Gothmann/Segner property at 3500 County Road 92, north of St. Bonifacius. The full Met Council is set to act Oct. 28. According to the Met Council staff report, staff are recommending approval.
What's proposed
The city wants to re-guide about 68.7 acres from Urban Reserve to Residential Low-Medium, a land use category that allows 3.5 to 6 homes per acre. The change would also expand the regional sewer service area, known as the Metropolitan Urban Service Area, to take in the site.
A concept plan calls for about 238 homes: 162 single-family homes and 76 townhomes. The staff report doesn't name a developer or builder.
To make it work, the council would also change the site's regional designation in the Imagine 2050 plan from Diversified Rural to Suburban Edge. Staff found the amendment fits the regional system plans for parks, transportation and wastewater, and said the regional sewer system has enough capacity for the project.
This is the city's eighth amendment to its 2040 comprehensive plan, and the recent ones add up. In June, the Met Council authorized an amendment for the Boll property to make room for about 233 single-family homes and townhomes. In August, it approved the Mixed Residential South Area amendment, which re-guided 151 gross acres. An environmental review for that area described about 357 to 422 single-family homes and townhomes on about 163 acres.
Staff flags roads, density and water
The staff report isn't a blank check. The development would have three new access points onto County Road 92, County Road 110 and Highland Road. County Road 92 is listed as having an above-average crash risk, and its intersection with Highway 7 was flagged in a regional safety study for crash and congestion concerns. Staff encourage the developer to work with Hennepin County on intersection improvements at the County Road 92 entrance. They also want right-of-way set aside for walking and biking connections, since the site is less than half a mile from the Dakota Rail Regional Trail.
There's a density warning too. Because the amendment is based on a concept plan, an approved plat will need to hit at least 3.5 homes per acre and no more than 6. Staff note that sewer extension permits can't be issued for developments that don't meet regional density policy, so a plat that comes in too thin could cause delays.
The site is also in a priority area for the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District. Staff encourage the city and developer to work with the district on conservation and stormwater improvements, and to check with the Department of Natural Resources about possible impacts on groundwater and neighboring wells.
The site isn't served by transit. The nearest active stop is about four miles away.
The Met Council forecasts Minnetrista growing to about 3,600 households by 2030 and 4,400 by 2050, up from about 2,765 in the 2020 census. On affordable housing, staff said the city's plan already guides about 34 acres for higher-density housing, enough for at least 353 units, which covers its 318-unit share of the region's 2021-2030 need.
Why it matters for Contractors
Add it up and Minnetrista has re-guided land for several hundred new homes this year, and this amendment adds about 238 more. For single-family builders and their trade partners, that's a long runway of work on the western edge of the metro: grading, sewer and water extensions, streets, foundations, framing, roofing, siding, mechanical and finishes, plus townhome buildings.
The staff report also points to where the extra work and the risks are. County Road 92 intersection improvements could mean road and signal work. Watershed district priorities mean more attention to stormwater ponds, erosion control and possibly conservation features. And the density rules mean the final plat has to land in the 3.5-to-6 homes per acre range, so smaller lots and townhomes are part of the deal.
If the Met Council signs off Oct. 28, the next steps are back at the city, with platting and local approvals. That's when a builder is likely to surface, and when site contractors should start making calls.