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Public hearing on townhouse rezoning at 3380 Bachelor Street deferred after neighborhood pushback
Summary
An applicant seeking to rezone a 0.197‑acre lot at 3380 Bachelor Street from R1A to RT (townhouse) and a variance for reduced lot area agreed to meet neighbors; the council deferred the application to the June 16 meeting so the applicant can consult the Eagan Park neighborhood.
The City Council on May 19 deferred a rezoning case affecting 3380 Bachelor Street after residents and the applicant agreed to additional neighborhood engagement.
Planning staff described the request as a rezoning from R1A (urban residential) to RT (residential townhouse) with a concurrent variance to reduce the minimum lot area from the required 3,000 square feet to about 2,148 square feet; the property is approximately 0.1974 acres. Staff and the Planning Commission recommended denial, saying the application was not compatible with the comprehensive plan’s “traditional urban neighborhood” direction.
Applicant Timothy Helms, representing the property owner, showed a site plan for two small townhouse buildings — initially proposed as four units — and said the applicants were willing to reduce density and meet with the neighborhood association. “We’re open to reducing the number of units and thus that 29% reduction in the variance that we're requesting,” Helms said. The Eagan Park Neighborhood Association president, Justin Anderson, told council he was open to redevelopment but opposed the density proposed at the May meeting; Anderson urged that any new units provide off-street parking and be designed to fit the neighborhood scale.
After public comment from neighborhood residents who described traffic, parking and character concerns, the council voted to defer action and set a time certain: the applicant will return on June 16. Councilmembers said the deferral will give time for neighborhood meetings and a revised proposal that might reduce unit count and address on‑street parking concerns.
Why it matters: The application illustrates tensions between infill redevelopment pressure around downtown and neighborhood-scale preservation in older single-family areas. Deferral preserves an opportunity for the applicant and neighbors to reach a more compatible design and for the council to see a revised proposal.
What’s next: The applicant will meet with Eagan Park neighborhood representatives and return to council on June 16. If no resolution is reached, the council may act on the rezoning and variance at that meeting.
