Coon Rapids council approves PUD for 34-unit Butternut townhomes, adds privacy-fence condition

The Coon Rapids City Council on Feb. 4 approved a planned-unit development (PUD) overlay and a preliminary plat for a 34-unit townhome project at 10701 Butternut Street, voting to attach a condition requiring a privacy fence along the western and southern property boundaries.

The decision lets the developer proceed under a PUD overlay over the existing Office zoning to allow the proposed residential use; the council approved the PUD with one exception to the Moderate Density Residential (MDR) standards and tied the overlay specifically to this application. The PUD passed on a 6-1 vote; Council member Armstrong cast the only no vote. The council approved the related preliminary plat in a separate vote with the same tally.

The project covers about 3.8 acres of vacant land formerly used by Peace Lutheran Church as a community garden and is proposed at the intersection of University Avenue and Butternut Street. Staff told the council the applicant seeks the PUD overlay rather than a rezoning to MDR so the residential allowances would be tied to this specific application, meaning future developers would need council action to change uses if this…