Council approves Victoria Ridge Second Edition final plat and PUD amendment including 165‑unit apartment building with 20% affordability

The Victoria City Council voted to approve the final plat, site plan and a planned‑unit‑development amendment for Victoria Ridge Second Edition, clearing the way for a 165‑unit apartment building on a parcel south of the Marsh Hollow development.

Nut graph: The project includes a 20% affordable housing component (about 33 units), a requested reduction in parking from previously approved ratios, and multiple conditions tied to utilities, stormwater and DNR permitting for an on‑site well.

City planner or project presenter Matt McCann (city staff) summarized the application: a single lot (Lot 1, Block 1) for a 165‑unit apartment building with private amenities and a 20% affordable unit set‑aside (roughly 33 units). The proposal raises the density to about 40 units per acre — above the city’s 12–36 guidance — but staff said the Met Council did not require a comp‑plan amendment because the overall parcel is a phased development and had prior approvals.

Developer representative described unit mixes and sizes: alcove units (roughly 600–700 sq ft), one‑bedrooms (mid‑700s to 900s), and two‑bedrooms (approximately 1,200–1,300 sq ft). The developer said the typical mix planned for the 20% affordable set‑aside would be a mix across unit types (four alcove, 14 one‑bedroom and 15 two‑bedroom affordable units), and that the affordability target will be specified in the TIF/DA documents.

The applicant requested a modest parking reduction — to 1.77 spaces per unit overall and 0.98 enclosed spaces per unit — from previously approved levels. The applicant said the internal garage stall dimensions are slightly larger than code (9 feet wide) to improve resident parking usability; covered parking would be available for a fee and surface stalls would remain available.

Council approved three items on the record: the final plat and site plan approval, the ordinance amending the PUD to reflect the increased unit count and parking changes, and a resolution approving summary publication of the ordinance. Conditions attached to approval require completion and permitting of well No. 6 before landscaping is installed, compliance with CCWMO (Carver County Water Management Organization) stormwater rules, and recording of required development agreements at the county.

Several council members pressed on parking, unit mix, and the meaning of "20% affordable": council members were told the project is primarily market‑rate (roughly 80%) with the remaining 20% targeted for households at or below 50% of area median income (AMI); property management must certify tenant income for affordable units per TIF program rules. Planning Commission recommended approval by a 5–1 vote; a commissioner’s lone no vote appeared to be driven by concerns about the increased unit count.

Ending: With conditions applied, councilors approved the plat and PUD amendments; building permits and final development agreement recording remain to be completed before construction begins.

All quoted material in this article is taken from the public meeting transcript and is attributed to named speakers in the meeting record.