Council approves Sawyer Glen preliminary plat, rezoning and comprehensive-plan amendments for 215-lot development

The Farmington City Council voted on March 16 to advance the Sawyer Glen development after staff and the developer described the proposed preliminary plat, PUD and related land-use changes.

Tony (planning staff) presented the project as a four-parcel site of about 73 acres near the northwest intersection of County Road 50 and Flagstaff Avenue, immediately south of Farmington High School. Lennar proposes 215 single-family home sites with a gross density of approximately 2.94 dwelling units per acre and a net density of 4.6 du/acre; lot sizes in the preliminary plat range from 5,670 to 23,560 square feet with an average lot of 7,237 sq ft. The proposal includes four outlots for stormwater, wetlands and trail corridors and three comprehensive-plan amendments: future land-use re-designation for the northern parcels, MUSA staging timing alignment, and changes to the development-staging map to reflect earlier development timing for the northern parcels.

Steve Trosky, representing Lennar, told council he would reduce the lot count by two in the northeast corner in response to Planning Commission feedback. Council members questioned traffic impacts, emergency-vehicle access on narrow lots and how the project would connect to County Road 50; staff said Lakeville and Dakota County recently approached the city seeking a full-access roadway connection on the development’s southwest edge, and staff are developing a joint-powers agreement and floodplain map amendments (CLOMR/LOMR) to address staging and permitting.

The Planning Commission had recommended approval (5–0). Council considered three separate motions as requested by staff: adopt Resolution 2026 TAC-023 approving the preliminary plat and PUD subject to engineering comments and Met Council approvals; pass Ordinance 2026 TAC-003 rezoning the area from A1 to R2; and adopt Resolution 2026-022 approving the 2040 comprehensive-plan amendments for future land use, MUSA, and development staging. All three measures passed on roll-call votes.

Conditions listed in the approval require satisfaction of engineering comments (grading, stormwater and utilities), approval of the rezoning, and the Metropolitan Council’s action on the plan amendments. Staff said Outlot D contains wetland and the Park & Rec Commission declined to accept it for park dedication; the city will accept cash in lieu of park land where applicable. The preliminary plat includes sidewalks on one side of every road and trail connections intended to link to existing trails and to the high school.

The approvals were for preliminary actions; final platting, engineering clearance and Met Council approvals remain required before development can proceed.