Council approves Pulte/Del Webb 300‑lot subdivision with construction‑traffic restriction and floodplain conditions

Rochester — The City Council approved a major land subdivision application by Pulte Homes of Minnesota LLC to subdivide approximately 141 acres into 300 residential lots and six outlots, subject to nine conditions and additional directions the council adopted to manage construction traffic and to ensure floodplain protections.

City staff and the applicant outlined the project as a two‑phase, low‑density residential development southwest of Country Club Road and 45th Avenue SW. Staff reported the project had previously received approvals for annexation, a comprehensive plan amendment, a growth management map amendment, a general development plan and other preliminary permits. Dean Lauder, director of land planning and entitlement for Pulte, said the Del Webb product would include accessible slab‑on‑grade and estate home lines, an amenity center, and a schedule that, if approvals proceed, could see full site buildout by 2031.

Multiple residents raised concerns during the public hearing. Dr. Sunanda Kane questioned the traffic‑study assumptions — saying consultants underestimated peak‑hour trips because many Mayo Clinic employees and volunteers travel during peak periods — and asked the city to perform an independent traffic study or consider alternate sites. Another resident supported the project as a needed housing type; a third urged the council to scrutinize erosion and ecological impacts along Cascade Creek.

Staff and the applicant described compensatory storage and floodplain mitigation measures; staff said roughly 32 houses will be impacted by shoreland considerations and that compensatory storage modeling is intended to maintain no‑rise conditions and comply with DNR and FEMA 100‑ and 500‑year event standards. The applicant said no homes will be placed within the floodplain and that the project is designed to remain compliant with the Shoreland Overlay District impervious‑surface limit (25%).

Council debated construction traffic and neighborhood safety. Council member Miller successfully moved an amendment directing construction traffic to use Country Club Road and 45th Avenue as the primary truck route and asking staff to enforce and coordinate signage and contractor direction to discourage cut‑through traffic on 8th Street SW; councilmembers discussed using the neighborhood traffic management program and alternative mitigation for 8th Street if volumes rise in the future.

Following deliberations, the council moved to adopt the resolution approving the major land subdivision (CD2025042) with the staff‑recommended conditions and the construction‑traffic amendment. The motion passed by voice vote; an explicit roll‑call tally for the final Pulte motion was not read aloud in the transcript excerpt.

Next steps include final engineering reviews, DNR review of the Cascade Creek rehabilitation aspects, submittal and approval of the floodplain development permit, and negotiation of a development agreement addressing public‑improvement obligations and timing.