Council approves Inwood Eighth Edition comp‑plan amendment and PUD with conditions; preliminary plat passes 3–1

Lake Elmo — After extended discussion, the City Council adopted a comprehensive plan amendment and approved a preliminary plat and planned unit development (PUD) for the Inwood Eighth Edition project, requested by MNI Homes, with conditions addressing building materials, pedestrian connections and other design items.

What the council approved: The council adopted Resolution 2025‑048 approving a comprehensive plan amendment to guide the project area as high‑density residential (the classification aligns density across the project). The council also approved the preliminary plat and PUD (Resolution 2025‑049) and adopted ordinance 2025‑12 establishing PUD standards for the development. The preliminary plat/PUD approval recorded a 3–1 council vote; the comprehensive plan amendment was approved without recorded opposition.

Project summary: The application proposes an apartment lot plus attached townhome units on the Inwood site. Staff said the overall project density falls within the city’s high‑density range (8–15 units per acre) but several specific code flexibilities were requested for the attached townhome lots and the apartment lot, including reduced lot area per apartment unit (proposed ~1,600 sq. ft. per unit vs. a 1,800 sq. ft. standard), per‑lot impervious coverage above typical single‑lot thresholds (staff noted the…