Eden Prairie council approves Marshall Gardens plan change, zoning and preliminary plat

The Eden Prairie City Council on Jan. 21 approved a package of land‑use changes and entitlements for a proposed residential development on a roughly 32.11‑acre site at 9905 Dell Road known in project materials as Marshall Gardens, including guide‑plan changes, zoning map amendments, a PUD concept review and a preliminary plat.

The council’s action followed staff presentations, a developer presentation and a public hearing during which neighbors raised concerns about traffic, density, wildfire risk and sound from aircraft. After discussion the council passed a consolidated motion approving the guide‑plan changes, PUD concept review, first reading of a PUD ordinance, zoning changes, a preliminary plat and park‑dedication fee resolution, and directed staff to prepare a development agreement incorporating staff and commission recommendations. The motion passed unanimously with four members voting in favor (one council member was absent).

The approved plan calls for 15 single‑family lots north of a new public street (Crestwood Terrace East/West) and about 100 multifamily “stacked townhome” units (marketed as condominium flats) south of that street. Developer materials and staff said all units would be ownership units. The plan also preserves a roughly 12.7‑acre bluff and open‑space outlot to be dedicated to the city, two stormwater outlots, and a reduced internal community garden (now limited to residents of the development). Staff told the council the design preserves about 59–60% of the site as green/pond/open space.

Traffic analysis presented by the public‑works presenter estimated Marshall Gardens would generate just under 900 daily trips. Staff reported trip distribution would send about 80% of those trips to Dell Road, with smaller shares using Crestwood Terrace and nearby local streets. Intersection level‑of‑service (LOS) analysis forecast that most intersections affected would remain LOS A or B in a 2027 build scenario; the biggest change attributable to the project was an increase of about one second of delay at the Crestwood Terrace approach. Staff said their recommendation includes adding stop control at Crestwood/La Ferre and continued monitoring of corridor volumes after build‑out.

Neighbors who addressed the council during the public hearing urged the council to consider traffic impacts, stormwater and fire risk on the bluff. Resident Catherine Ellenbecker said dense clusters of housing “will spread like wildfire” if a structure fire starts on the bluff; other speakers asked for changes to access points and for more buffering between new and existing homes. Developer representatives said they reduced the size of the originally proposed community garden (from about 2.5 acres to under one acre), limited it to residents, shifted northerly villa lots to increase separation from existing homes, added substantial landscaping along the north boundary and would deed the southern bluff outlot to the city.

Developer presentation highlights: Lake West Development said the multifamily buildings would include shared amenities (management office, club room, fitness room, outdoor kitchens, pool), rooftop solar on south roof planes, EV charging provisions in the garage, and condo unit sizes around 2,000 square feet for flats and 2,100–3,500 square feet for villas depending on options. The developer estimated condo flats in the range of about $850,000 to $1.2 million and villas from about $1.1 million to $1.5 million.

Votes at a glance: The council adopted a consolidated set of actions (motion text recorded in the meeting minutes) that included: a guide‑plan change from low‑density residential to medium‑density residential on 9.78 acres and from low‑density residential to parks/open space on 12.78 acres; PUD concept review and first reading of a PUD ordinance for 8.03 acres (with waivers); zoning district changes (rural→R‑1 9.5 on 8.03 acres; rural→RM‑2.5 on 9.78 acres; rural→parks/open space on 12.78 acres); approval of a preliminary plat dividing one parcel into 16 lots and five outlots on 32.11 acres; adoption of park‑dedication fee resolution for 32.11 acres; and direction to staff to draft a development agreement incorporating staff and commission recommendations. Outcome: approved (voice vote; 4–0).

Next steps: Staff will prepare the development agreement and associated legal documents, and the developer indicated a target to start construction in summer 2025 if approvals and agreements proceed on schedule.

Ending: Council members thanked staff and the developer for responsive revisions. Council discussion emphasized the tradeoffs that produced denser ownership housing in exchange for preserving bluff land, additional landscaping buffers and on‑site sustainable features.