Politics & Government

Lilydale Tennis Club Site Plans Advanced by Planning Commission

The joint development was recommended for approval and could be before the City Council next month.

The Lilydale Tennis Club site is one step closer to redevelopment, after the city’s planning commission approved a final development plan, zoning changes and platting Monday night.

The building, closed in 2006, has stood vacant. A proposal for condos on the site in 2006-2007 fell through. A concept plan for the project now under consideration was submitted in August of last year.

Developers John Wall of Highland Bank and Lance Lemieux of Southview Senior Living are planning jointly a luxury apartment building and a senior living center on the site, respectively.

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Paperwork for the project had been submitted in May, but was deemed incomplete at that time by the city.

A public hearing for the plat changes and final approval by the city council are required before the project is free to proceed. The city has a maximum of 60 days, or until Aug. 15, to complete their review.     

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Demolition and site cleanup is set to begin Monday, and is expected to take about two months.

City planner Ciara Schlichting of Bonestroo reviewed the plans and recommended them for approval with a number of conditions. Most of the conditions were related to securing joint access with Lilydale Garden Center, establishing the accuracy of the platting and ensuring restoration and maintenance of the bluff line.

Roughly half of the property is dominated by the bluff line and will be kept as open space with a conservation easement, according to Wall. The removal of invasive species, filling of ruts created by runoff, cleaning of debris and replanting are being proposed as an alternative to the parks dedication fee, though more detail was requested by the commission.

The senior living complex will provide 120 total units, 32 of which will be memory care, and the rest split between independent and assisted living. There will be 70 stalls of parking in the garage and 20 at street-level. Lemieux said that the ratio of parking spaces to residents exceeds all other Southview Senior Living buildings in the area and extra spaces could be rented out to apartment-dwellers in the future.

Comparable sites in Inver Grove Heights and West St. Paul see usage of 20 or fewer parking spots at any given time, said Lemieux.

Construction of the senior living building is scheduled to begin sometime between Aug. 15-Sept. 15 depending on when financing is complete.

As for the apartment complex, that building will be built in a second phase following the senior living building, with a target of spring 2012 as the earliest possible date for construction to start. Market factors and financing will drive the progress of that project.

The apartment building will provide 49-units, with 109 total spaces of parking, most in an underground lot.

The city planner made note that the buildings will be situated prominently on the river corridor and that the aesthetics of the development should be consistent with the location and with each other. Developers state in the plans that the location provides a gateway to the city. The facades of both buildings will emphasize earth tones through the use of siding, brick and stone materials.

The next review by the city council and the plat public hearing could occur at the next Lilydale City Council meeting scheduled for July 11.


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