Council approves Hotel Victoria preliminary plat and permits after parking revisions

The Victoria City Council approved the Hotel Victoria project’s preliminary plat, variances and related permits after the applicant revised its parking plan to avoid net loss of on‑street stalls.

City planner Brian McCann summarized the project at 7929 Victoria Drive: a proposed 46‑unit boutique hotel with underground parking (41 stalls), a covered garage with valet, meeting spaces and a fitness center. McCann said the applicant’s new design "gets them to a net 0 of on street parking," by adding angled and parallel stalls and making sidewalk adjustments subject to Carver County approval for work adjacent to the Lake Minnetonka Regional Trail.

Council members voiced support for the project as a potential economic boost and highlighted the importance of resolving shared‑parking needs; staff noted the developer may pursue a conditional‑use permit for shared parking to make up a shortfall of five stalls. Council voted to approve the preliminary plat, shoreland variance to raise impervious coverage to about 88.3 percent in the shoreland overlay, conditional‑use permits, site‑plan and right‑of‑way vacation resolutions, and the motions carried by voice vote.

Conditions include securing Carver County approvals for on‑trail work, compliance with city site and grading requirements, and follow‑up on any required shared‑parking conditional‑use review prior to final approvals. Applicant representatives said, if approvals proceed on schedule, construction could begin in time for a fall start; the developer estimated a 15‑month construction timeline if that schedule is met.