Planning commissioners recommend Forest Lake’s Amberly Woods preliminary plat and PUD with conditions

Forest Lake Planning Commission on Monday recommended that the City Council approve the Amberly Woods preliminary plat and planned unit development (PUD) for 56 single‑family homes on a roughly 39‑acre parcel owned by TCLD Land Holdings LLC.

The recommendation, made during a public hearing, follows a staff presentation describing wetlands preservation, stormwater controls and requested PUD flexibilities; it passed on a unanimous voice vote and will go to the City Council on Oct. 27 at 6 p.m.

Nathan First, a planner with Bolenbank who presented the staff report, said the property contains "over 15 acres of wetlands" and that clustering the development on the west side of the site leaves a net developable area of about 17 acres, producing a proposed net density of about 3.3 units per acre. First said the developer is proposing 56 single‑family lots and requested a PUD flexibility to allow 25 lots at 55 feet wide while the remaining 31 lots would be 65 feet wide.

The city’s MXR‑1 zoning standard sets a 65‑foot minimum lot width and a minimum lot area of 7,500 square feet. Staff said the developer proposes the smaller 55‑foot lots with lot areas starting at 6,875 square feet and had limited other flexibility requests.

First des…