1996-08-05 Resurrection of Cedar Creek PUD
Kenco
.
.
13736 Johnson St. N.E.
Ham lAke, MN 55304
August 5, 1996
Mayor & City Council Members
5975 Main Avenue NE.
Albertville, MN 55301
RE: Resurrection of Cedar Creek Development PUD
Dear Mr. Mayor and Members of the Council:
This letter serves to confirm previous conversations about the potential to create a
framework for approval of a public but privately owned golf course housing project in
Albertville. We understand that several current residents in addition to some of the
current Council Members have inquired as to the status of the golf course project.
As all parties know, Kenco is currently the majority land owner and has partnership
interests in much of the City lands west of Highway 19. Subsequent to the previous golf
course housing submissions in throughout late 1995 and early 1996, land has been
annexed into the City. In addition, some but not all land was studied in an update to the
comprehensive land use plan. Some of the lands Kenco had requested for multi family
have in fact become multi family with the plan update. As part of the comp plan changes,
zoning code amendments for 100' frontage and 15000 SF sizes were added without a
chance for review and debate, which Kenco had objected to. Currently, some additional
lands to the southwest and northwest have been added to Albertville which were not
studied by planning consultants. Kenco has some ownership interests and interest in the
land yet to be studied.
We believe that the opportunity to have a master developer is good for both parties. When
planners, builders, volunteer commissioners and elected officials look at successful areas
of any City or unique projects it is typically because of the strength of one master
developer. There are certainly fewer examples of equally interesting groups of
neighborhoods created by a City master plan and unrelated builders and developers.
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Kenco
.
13736 Johnson St. N.E.
.
Ham lAke, MN 55304
Kenco believes in the concept of life cycle housing and needs further definition as to
buyer markets in order to contemplate the creation of a master plan. These definitions
could become a framework to implement the life cycle ideas using the density slated for
our lands. That is, on 300 acres, a variety of housing and recreational amenities could
exist which could hit most of the reasonable life cycle housing goals Albertville is
looking for. Most of the housing designs for residents over 45 as market segments are
achieved in townhouse or condominium ownership communities. Many of the best
examples in the Twin Cities are PUD zoning.
We seek the Councils support via the commitment of two members to serve on a fact
finding, workshop oriented basis for a period of two months, perhaps up to four
meetings. This would yield a final master planning schedule and mutual goals.
We believe a 6 month meeting and planning process to be adequate to arrive at a go, no
go status. There needs to be a mutual understanding of the talents that all the players
possess in creating the built environment; consultants, administrators, elected offlcillls,
builders and developers. Without the end builders and developers, and residents
purchasing the homes of the plan, a planning vision is meaningless.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
~~
Donald Jensef .
Land Development Consultant
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