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Verona council approves Ardent Glen park development amendment; developer to build park improvements
Summary
The Common Council approved an amendment to the Ardent Glen development agreement allowing the developer, Viridian Homes, to construct park improvements directly and changed timing and drawing rules for park-fee disbursements; council also approved related plat actions for Ardent Glen.
The Verona Common Council approved an amendment to the Ardent Glen development agreements that lets the developer construct required park improvements for the Ardent Glen subdivision and changed administrative review before finalizing the agreement.
During public comment, Dan Day of Viridian Homes said the company had worked with city parks staff to accelerate park construction and "bring the parks earlier to fruition." Council members and staff explained the amendment modifies how park fees are collected and how improvements are implemented.
Under the approved amendment — which passed after a substitute motion to make approval subject to final review by the city attorney and city administrator — the developer will construct parkland per plans approved by the Parks, Recreation and Forestry Commission. The amendment leaves the previously identified acreage and the phase 1 fee amount unchanged: the transcript indicates the phase‑1 park fee of $380,970 remains in place. Staff and alder discussion noted that combined fees in-lieu and park improvement fees associated with the subdivision were approximately $750,000, while the developer's planned spending on the park was described as more than $1 million.
Alder Tucker Long, the council member who made the substitute motion, said staff-level flexibility was needed to allow multiple draws from the park account during construction rather than the previously annual draw schedule.
Related planning actions approved by the council the same night include: approval of the final plat for the first addition to Ardent Glen to create 54 single-family and twin-home parcels and six outlots (plan commission recommended 7–0) and confirmation of staff approval for a minor final-plat adjustment to add two private outlots. The Parks, Recreation and Forestry Commission had reviewed and recommended the alternate plan 5–0.
Ending: With the amendment approved and plats recorded or approved, the council and developer said they expect park construction to proceed under city-approved plans; staff will complete final legal review per the council's substitute motion.
