Planning commission recommends MRCCA permit for proposed Glenhill Road home

The Mendota Heights Planning Commission voted 5-0 on Jan. 27 to recommend approval of a Mississippi River Corridor Critical Area (MRCCA) permit for a new single-family home at the northwest corner of Glenhill Road and Victoria Curve (PID #27-81251-00-013), Community Development Manager Sarah Madden said.

The commission’s recommendation came with a list of conditions that must be met before the city acts on the building permit, including removal or relocation of a proposed swimming pool outside the bluffline setback, submission of a separate Forest Alteration Permit and tree-replacement escrow, a final landscaping and restoration plan emphasizing native species, erosion-control measures and compliance with the city’s land-disturbance guidance.

The hearing drew several neighbors who raised concerns about slope stability, drainage and tree loss. "A catastrophic failure of this site could impact infrastructure and utilities and have a broader impact on the community," said resident Alan Olstein, who submitted a hydrogeological investigation and urged the city to be conservative in its review. Attorney and applicant representative Dean Nelson of Homes by Tradition said the builder had worked to site the house carefully and would update tree-tag information and relocate the pool as required by the conditions. "We carefully place the home on the property and consider which trees will be removed or protected," Nelson said.

Technical reviewers were cited by both sides. Nelson said Homes by Tradition is working with Braun Intertec, the engineering consultant that reviewed proposed footings, foundations and retaining walls and concluded that, with proper retaining walls, construction is feasible. James Grahams of Lake and Land Surveying described the proposed stormwater feature as a rain garden designed to hold a one-inch storm and to drain within 48 hours.

Public Works Director Ryan Ruzek told commissioners the 2020 proposal for the site had been denser and included roads, utilities and larger retaining walls; the council denied that earlier plan but later approved a 2023 lot split that created the two buildable parcels. Ruzek said there are springs along bluffs in the region but no publicly mapped springs at this site, and he described the applicant’s infiltration basin as meeting the city’s drainage requirements.

The motion recommending approval, moved by Commissioner Brian Udell and seconded by Commissioner Jeff Nath, listed the commission’s conditions in full. Key conditions include: requiring an approved building permit and grading plan before any site work; removal or relocation of the swimming pool and associated decking outside the bluffline setback; submission and approval of a Forest Alteration Permit and tree-replacement escrow; submission of a final landscaping and restoration plan with native plant species and seed mix details; installation of native vegetation in the Bluff Impact Zone; replacement groundcover where buckthorn is removed; compliance with the City’s Land Disturbance Guidance and Public Works review; and robust erosion-control measures (including perimeter controls and erosion control blankets on disturbed slopes of 3:1 or greater). The commission also limited construction hours to 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. Commissioners added a final condition to resolve discrepancies in the tree inventory (tags 52 and 60).

Chair Litton Field said the City Council will consider the application at its Feb. 4, 2026 meeting. Community Development Manager Sarah Madden noted the Planning Commission’s next regular meeting was rescheduled to March 31, 2026. The commission adjourned at 8:00 p.m.