(Spirit Lake)– Plans for a residential development proposed for an area just west of the Indian Hills Golf Course cleared two major hurdles Tuesday evening.
The Spirit Lake City Council voted 5-0 to approve the creation of an urban renewal plan for that area along with a developer’s agreement for the Cypress Ridge housing development. The action followed public hearings that drew no oral or written comments. City Attorney/Administrator Gregg Owens tells KUOO news the agreement with developer Lee Seeman still calls for the project to be constructed in three phases…
“Depending on how long it takes the developer to get those phases done, we expect probably five to seven years for a buildout. Total units, at last count I think we’re somewhere in the area of 120 to 130 when it’s all done. It’s arranged as a horizontal property regime but with homes that will appear to be regular, single family homes as in any other development. Those that followed the zoning process know that the developer signed a conditional zoning agreement which means that the only thing that can be built there are single family type detached houses. So there’s no possibility even though the zoning was changed to R3 to accommodate, so the condominium style development, you won’t see traditional condominiums, apartments, townhomes or anything like that, and can’t be built.”
Owens says there’s another important aspect to the agreement that pertains to the construction of a sanitary sewer lift station as part of the project…
“At one point there was concern about future capacity for the county including county residents along the lake and so forth, and the developer has agreed to construct a new lift station and it will not be necessary to touch the existing and older lift station at this time or in the future for this development. It’s a win for everybody. Had the city had to construct that it could have, but it would have been at least another year out with planning and bonding and so forth, and the developer has agreed to take that risk on and of course will have the benefit of a TIF rebate at some point in the future.”
Owens says the approvals that were granted Tuesday evening paves the way for the developer to apply for zoning permits. He says construction could then get underway once the permits are granted, which is likely to happen in coming weeks.
