Maplewood council approves Century Ponds PUD with large conservation easement, six land‑use measures pass

Maplewood Oct. 27, 2025 The City Council voted unanimously to approve a Planned Unit Development (PUD) and related land‑use actions for the Century Ponds project at 601 Century Avenue South, authorizing a re‑guiding of the former Ponds of Battle Creek golf course to low‑density residential and clearing a preliminary plat for 133 detached single‑family homes and 73 townhomes.

The votes followed a staff presentation and a developer briefing from D.R. Horton that described the proposals conservation approach: the plan preserves roughly 43.14 acres of natural area and wetland complex (about 46.77% of the site), establishes public conservation easements to be held by the city, and provides 1.73 acres of new parkland, roughly 1.8 miles of public paved trails and connections to adjacent neighborhoods.

City planning director Danette Parr told the council the overall site is "just over 92 acres," with approximately 10.5 acres of wetlands and a total of 42.57 acres in outlots and preserved open space. The developer said the single‑family lots will be 55 and 65 feet wide with two‑ and three‑car garages depending on model; the townhome portion will be private streets with two‑car garages and dedicated guest parking areas totaling 28 spaces. Staff and an independent engineering consultant reviewed traffic and concluded predicted peak‑hour volumes and intersection queues would remain within the citys collector roadway capacity.

The councils approvals comprised six separate actions: (1) an amendment to the 2040 comprehensive plan to re‑guide the…