The City of Victoria Planning Commission voted, by a 6–1 margin, to recommend that the City Council deny a proposed rezoning for about 44 acres of the Victoria Ridge parcel (the area outside the Kwik Trip site) that would change the land from agricultural to C2 (Community Commercial).

Staff presentation and applicant statement
City planner Bridal McCain explained that the remaining roughly 44‑acre portion of the annexed parcel was being considered for rezoning without any specific development proposals attached. McCain reminded commissioners that rezonings are discretionary and that if the city rezoned the property to C2, “any permitted use meeting our zoning code requirements within our C2 district must legally be approved,” reducing the city’s ability to deny a future project that conforms to the C2 district standards. Developer representative Pat Rossi said the purpose of the rezoning application was to make the land “more marketable” and to prepare it for sale of individual lots; Rossi said there were no buyers or specific end users at the time of the hearing.

Why it matters: control over future uses and grading
Commission discussion centered on the trade‑off between making the land marketable for potential buyers (the applicant’s stated goal) and preserving the Planning Commission’s and city’s discretion to review and reject specific future projects. Several commissioners expressed reluctance to “give up” rezoning authority now when no specific buyers or uses have been proposed. Commissioners also discussed whether the applicant could pursue grading, marketing or a conditional permit route without a rezoning in place; staff said grading and development actions generally require subsequent land‑use approvals and that the city would need to work through the appropriate permitting pathways.

Permitted uses and code context
Staff noted that certain higher‑density residential uses (for example, retirement housing and multi‑family apartments) are allowed in the C2 district as conditional uses, and other commercial uses are permitted outright subject to the zoning code’s size and use limits. Staff also said the parcel includes a small wetland and a 125‑foot transmission easement; the site has modest elevation changes and had been sketched previously during the August 2024 sketch plat stage.

Public comment and applicant response
No members of the public spoke at the hearing in the chamber. Staff said notices were published in the Waconia Patriot and mailed to property owners within 350 feet; staff reported two phone inquiries about the broader development and an adjacent property owner’s concern about the location of an access point on County Road 11.

Formal action
A commissioner moved to recommend denial of the requested rezoning for “Victoria Commercial.” The motion passed on a 6–1 voice vote, with commissioners voting to recommend denial to City Council. Staff reminded the commission the applicant could return with a specific project at any time; developers may pursue alternative approaches such as conditional use permits or a future rezoning if and when a defined proposal is submitted.

Next steps
The Planning Commission’s recommendation will be transmitted to the City Council for consideration. Staff and the applicant noted that work on grading plans or further project development would require additional permits and coordination with city staff and external reviewers, including Carver County and the Carver County Watershed Management Organization where applicable.