Council approves preliminary grading permit for Lennar27s Geneva Meadows with conditions

The City of St. Paul Park City Council on July 21 approved a grading permit allowing preliminary erosion control and limited tree removal at a site tied to the Lennar preliminary plat known in materials as Geneva Meadows. The council27s approval included authority for the city attorney to make minor modifications to the permit agreement. Nate Sparks explained the permit would let the developer start erosion-control work and limited grading based on an approved grading plan while the final plat remains pending. Sparks said the city normally takes a letter of credit to secure completion if a developer abandons work; the developer27s estimate initially included imported fill, which Sparks said the city would exclude from the security amount because the city would not be providing or finishing imported fill. The city engineer and city attorney reviewed the proposed modifications and found them acceptable, Sparks said. Sparks also said the developer must hold a pre-construction meeting with city staff (scheduled for Aug. 23) and obtain a written go-ahead from the city engineer before beginning any work. The council27s motion specified those conditions. Mayor Franke moved to approve the grading permit with the city attorney authorized to make minor modifications; the motion was seconded and carried 5-0. Sparks told the council that final plat materials, including final road alignments and the development agreement, will return to the council for review when the developer files the final plat application.