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Council weighs rezoning request for parcel south of 200th & 10th; developer proposes active‑adult townhomes
Summary
City staff and a developer presented a conceptual plan to change a parcel guided for Office Park to residential (townhome/active-adult) because steep topography and an on-site wetland make traditional office or industrial uses difficult. Councilors and neighbors raised access, noise and long-term land-use concerns.
Lakeville City staff and a developer on Tuesday presented a preliminary proposal to change land guidance for a site south of 200th Street and west of County Road 70 — currently guided for Office Park — to allow residential development, including an active‑adult townhome community.
Tina, a city planner, told council members this was an early conversation and emphasized that “we are not talking about any kind of specific development proposal whatsoever. Tonight. We do not have an application. This is a preliminary conversation.” Measure Group consultant Josh McKinney and developer Jeff Cook of Norris Companies described site constraints that, they said, make modern office or industrial projects impractical: large grade changes across the parcel and a wetland roughly in the middle of the site.
Cook, who said his firm is negotiating to buy the land, described a concept for an active-adult community and townhomes that would step down in density toward adjacent single-family areas. “We are under contract with the family on this site,” Cook said, explaining the developer has a purchase agreement in place and is seeking direction on whether a change of guidance would be acceptable to the council.
Councilors and nearby residents raised several concerns before any formal application would be filed. Traffic and access were the most frequently cited issues: council members and the public questioned whether the development could safely use County Road 70 for full access and suggested primary access from 210th Street instead. A councilor said a berm on County Road 70 would be necessary if access there were used.
Neighbors warned of noise from truck traffic and nearby pallet-recycling operations along County Road 70; resident Larry Birch said the area’s existing noise levels make locating senior housing adjacent to 70 “unbelievable.” Planning staff said the parcel has been on and off the market for decades and that regional demand for suburban office campuses has declined, prompting staff to raise the question whether the city should consider alternative guidance for sites that are not marketable as Office Park.
Several councilors favored more study before endorsing a change. One asked staff for an inventory of similarly constrained Office Park parcels so the council could consider a broader review rather than piecemeal changes. Staff said more detailed traffic analysis, grading and wetland studies would be needed if an applicant brought a rezoning request; councilors noted that a change in land-use guidance would not itself approve development and that many subsequent planning steps and conditions remain.
No vote or ordinance change occurred; the session provided initial policy direction and flagged issues staff would need to address if a rezoning application is submitted.
