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Council approves Voyagers Heights rezoning, development agreement and infrastructure upsizing
Summary
Brainerd City Council approved the developer’s 176-unit Voyagers Heights project by adopting Ordinance 1596, approving a contingent development agreement and authorizing infrastructure upsizing including larger water and sewer mains to accommodate future growth.
Brainerd City Council on Tuesday approved a package of measures to advance the Voyagers Heights development, a proposed 176-unit apartment complex on Greenwood and adjacent parcels.
Community development director Cranley presented Ordinance 1596, the rezoning to a planned unit development overlay with an underlying CN2 district, and the PUD final plan and plat. Cranley told the council that staff and the developer, identified in the record as Keepers, amended the plan after an environmental assessment worksheet showed some land in a vulnerable surface-water area and relocated the infiltration pond outside that zone. Cranley said fire marshal, city engineer and public utilities staff had no objections to the revised plan.
The council dispensed with the formal reading and approved Ordinance 1596 by roll call. The vote followed a related motion to approve the development agreement for the project contingent on final approval of the rezoning, final plat and PUD final plan.
In a separate committee recommendation that the council also approved, staff proposed an oversizing plan for the project’s water and sewer infrastructure. Chairman Tad Ericson described the proposal to upsize three water mains (including increasing a 10‑inch main to 12 inches), expand sanitary gravity main capacity (from 8 inches to 12 inches in a segment), and increase a force main and lift-station capacity to serve both the development and potential future growth. Ericson said staff anticipates that system development charges or other connection fees generated by the project would more than offset the upsizing cost.
Council discussion was limited. Councilmember Johnson said he supported the motion but used the example to argue the city should reconsider transferring water access charges out of the city’s funds into utility funds, warning that shifting funds can complicate city control of revenues. No change to that policy was made at the meeting.
Next steps: the approved motions advance the project to final administrative processing and implementation steps tied to the final plat and utility work. The development agreement was approved as contingent on those final land-use approvals.
Sources: Presentations and motions recorded in the council meeting on Feb. 2, 2026 (Council staff presentation by Cranley; committee report by Chairman Ericson).
