4.9 SR 12-02-2024 - Laserfiche WebLink

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The Elk River Vision A welcoming community with revolutionary and spirited resourcefulness, exceptional service, and community engagement that encourages and inspires prosperity Request for Action To City Council Item Number 4.9 Meeting Date December 2, 2024 Prepared By Zack Carlton, Community Development Director Item Description Development Agreement Update: Bradford Park Reviewed by Cal Portner Tina Allard Action Requested Approve, by motion, an update to the development agreement with Lennar, increasing the number of model homes permitted by the city. Background/Discussion The first phase of Lennar's Bradford Park Subdivision has been under construction this summer. They have made good progress thus far but have run into some issues that have delayed the completion of their public improvements. These delays limit their ability to pull building permits to construct additional homes within the development. Their development agreement with the city prohibits the city from issuing permits until all public improvements have been installed. Lennar has requested city approval of certain building permits to begin construction, notably, those without required sidewalks. Staff reviewed their request and are comfortable treating these additional permits as model homes, which allows the issuance of permits. However, a certificate of occupancy will not be approved until all public improvements are completed. The proposed amendment increases the number of model homes from 6 to 20. The staff's recommendation of approval is not without concern. First, installing the sidewalk during the construction of a home will impact the developers' ability to continue to work on the home. Driving equipment on concrete not fully cured increases the likelihood of damaging the sidewalk. Staff have worked with developers in the past to create a temporary bridge during the curing process, but these have typically ended with damaged sidewalks and the developer replacing the impacted section. There should be zero traffic across the sidewalks until they have fully cured, and approved by engineering staff. Second, depending on the timing of the sidewalk work in the spring, the homes may be ready for sale before sidewalk completion. Issuing the building permit under the model home standard prohibits the issuance of a certificate of occupancy until all improvements, except the final lift of pavement, are installed and approved by the city engineer. This scenario is not uncommon and the building department receives calls from prospective buyers asking why the city will not issue the occupancy permit for their model home. Lennar's development team will need to convey this standard to their sales team to ensure homes are not scheduled for closing before full acceptance of all public improvements. Page 150 of 211