CY 48-25

Request of Bolton and Menk, with permission of the property owner, for a final plat review of Victory Ridge Apartments; for a conditional use permit to allow a grouped housing project in the O-R, Office Residential zoning district; and for a conditional use permit for a wetland sequencing and replacement request. The subject property is described as Outlot B, Elwin Addition No. 2, City of Mankato (Blue Earth County PID R010909301015).

The anticipated date of City Council action is October 14, 2025. 
 

The applicant is Bolton and Menk, with permission of the property owner. 

The applicant is requesting a wetland replacement plan, a conditional use pemit to allow a multiple apartment buildings on one lot, and a final plat review of Victory Ridge subdivision.

The subject property is described as Outlot B, Elwin Addition No. 2, City of Mankato (Blue Earth County PID R010909301015).

The property is currently vacant with the most recent use being row crop agriculture.

The property is zoned OR, Office Residential.

The Mankato City Council approved the preliminary plat on September 8, 2025, with the following conditions: 

1. Payment in lieu of parkland dedication in the amount of $69,734.00 will be required prior to affixing signatures on the final plat. 
2. A conditional use permit will be required for the proposed housing development based on the conditional uses defined in the Office Residential district. 
3. The applicant shall submit a hydrology report and drainage analysis at the time of submission of the final plat. The applicant shall be aware that no drainage outlet shall be constructed at the top of the bluff. 
4. Applicant shall submit a final traffic memo at the time of submission of the conditional use permit.
5. The applicant shall be aware of the wooded areas and any removal of trees shall be evaluated by the Mankato City Code. 
6. The applicant shall be aware that a public watercourse exists on the subject property and any development that occurs within 300' will be subject to the City's Shoreland Ordinance. 
7. The applicant shall make a payment-in-lieu of parkland dedication in the amount of $69,734.00.This number is based on the assessed unimproved value of the property multiplied by 7 percent per the Mankato City Code requirements.

The Environmentally Sensitive Areas Map indicated that there are existing bluff zones and woodland areas, and identified a portion of the subject property to be located within the shoreland district. No development is planned in the designated areas. 

Further review with the MN DNR determined that no EAW would be required with development of the property. 

The applicant has submitted a SWPPP plan according to MPCA standards.

Utility connection points are currently located on the property. 

The City Code pertaining to the OR-Office Residential District may be viewed at the link below. 
https://library.municode.com/mn/mankato/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=CH10LAUSDE_ARTIIREDI_DIV8OROFSIDI

The Site Plan Review Committee met on September 9th, 2025, and submitted the following comments: 

1. The applicant shall submit an updated drainage study as soon as possible.
2. The applicant shall review and amend the stormwater basin design and overflow to account for concerns of bluff and ravine stability to the satisfaction of the city engineer.
3. The applicant shall review the drainage for the play area and dog park and avoid direct discharge at the top of the bluff.
4. The applicant shall submit a geotechnical evaluation and bluff stability study prior to building permit submittal.
5. The applicant shall be a willing participant in further evaluation of the sign phasing at the intersection of N. Victory Dr. and Adams St. and agree to cost participation of warranted left turn land movement improvements.
6. The applicant should be aware that building 1 will have an address of 160 Dublin Rd., building 2 will be 190 Dublin Rd., building 3 will be 170 Dublin Rd. and building 4 will be 180 Dublin Rd.
7. The applicant shall be aware of the 50% open space requirement within the shoreland area.
8. The applicant shall be aware of the 25% impervious surface maximum within the shoreland area.
9. The applicant shall be aware that a SWPPP will be required through the MPCA. The applicant should also be aware that an NPDES and an EAW may also be required through the EPA.

The applicant is currently requesting a review for a wetland replacement plan, a conditional use permit to allow for the construction of multiple apartment buildings on one lot, and a final plat review of the Victory Ridge subdivision. The subject property is legally described as Outlot B, Elwin Addition No. 2.

The final plat proposes the creation of a one-lot, one-block subdivision encompassing approximately 14.83 acres. The property has been evaluated for woodlands, shoreland, and wetlands. The applicant has shifted the development to minimize impacts to the wooded areas and the shoreland areas. The wetlands will be reviewed in conjunction with the final plat.

Outlot A, Elwin No. 3 and No. 2 will remain under their current ownership. The developer does not plan to purchase them for further development. 

Wetlands and Hydrology: 

The applicant has requested wetland flexibility and submitted for review, a wetland sequencing and replacement plan to allow for impacts to the wetland located on the upper areas of the site. Two sites were determined during the wetland analysis. Wetland 1 is isolated and will be permitted through the Wetland Conservation Act. Mitigation for this wetland is planned at a 2:1 ratio for a total of 0.16 credits. Tributary 2 is a stormwater erosional feature, not a jurisdictional tributary. Because of this, no impacts are affiliated with the placement of materials for the new stormwater structures. 

A hydrology study was conducted and determined proposed improvements, including dedicated drainage areas, storm sewer routing, and two filtration basins. The first basin will be located on the eastern side of the property and will provide the majority of the water quality and impervious drainage for the development. The basin is designed to outfall near the bottom of Thomas Ravine bluff. The second basin will be located on the western side of the property. 

Conditional Use Permit:

Site plans for the Victory Ridge Subdivision illustrate a grouped housing development consisting of four apartment buildings with a total of 180 residential units. Supporting site improvements include four garages, on-site parking, and associated residential amenities. The property is currently zoned O-R, Office Residential, where grouped housing projects are classified as conditional uses. 

The applicant proposes to construct two 38-unit buildings and two 52-unit buildings, arranged in a rectangle around a central open space. Building designs are proposed to mostly replicate those previously approved and constructed for the Augusta Estates Park apartment project. The 52-unit buildings will have 23 tuck-under garages and include two studio units, 22 one-bedroom units and 28 two-bedroom units. Each 52-unit building will have a dedicated lobby, mail center, fitness center, and community room. The 38-unit buildings will not have tuck-under garages and include three studio units, 12 one-bedroom units, and 23 two-bedroom units. Each 38-unit building will have a dedicated lobby, office, community room, and fitness center. Both building types include a variety of unit layouts for each bedroom classification. 

Several outdoor amenities are proposed, including a playground, a fenced dog park, outdoor athletic courts, and ample green space. 

In order to reduce the development envelope of the project area, the applicant has modified their parking layout to adjust for the recent amendment to the parking requirements for Multiple Family developments, reducing the requirement from 2 stalls to 1.5 stalls per unit. As a multiple-family housing development, the project must provide a minimum of 1.5 parking stalls per unit. With a total of 180 residential units, 270 off-street parking stalls must be provided on site. The applicant has proposed to provide 365 parking stalls on site, at a rate of over 2 stalls per unit. The applicant intends to utilize a variety of parking types, including tandem parking, underground, garage, and surface lot parking. 227 parking stalls will be provided in surface lots, this includes 48 tandem stalls. Nine accessible parking stalls will also be provided within the surface lot. 40 garage stalls will be provided and 48 underground parking stalls. If tandem parking stalls are not included in the total parking calculation, 317 off-street parking stalls would still be provided on site, this conforms to Mankato City Code.

Public utilities are available within the Dublin Road corridor to serve the proposed development.

Site access is proposed from Dublin Road and will be required to conform to the City’s engineering and access management standards. The applicant has submitted a traffic study. It was determined that a dedicated left turn signal at the intersection of Adams St. and Victory Dr. could be beneficial during peak hours. If improvements are warranted to the Adams Street and Victory Drive intersection, the City will enter into agreements with previous developments to participate in the costs associated with modifications to the system.

Staff submits the following findings of fact: 

1. The use, a grouped housing project, is considered a conditional use in the O-R, Office Residential district.
2. The request is in keeping with the comprehensive planning policies of the City, as the underlying land use plan identifies this parcel as “Office Residential.”
3. The proposal does not interfere with or diminish the use of property in the immediate vicinity.
4.  The proposal will be served with public utilities and services.
5. There are no known historical or architectural resources on the site.
6. There are known environmental conditions on the site. The applicant has worked through the conditions with the appropriate state and city departments.
7. The grouped housing development will not cause a negative effect on the city as a whole as the proposed development conforms to the standards in the Code.
8. To the extent known, the proposal conforms with all other applicable regulations of the district, and other applicable ordinances.
9. The proposal will not jeopardize the public’s health, safety, or general welfare.
10. The proposal will not cause undue traffic congestion, as the traffic impact analysis demonstrates that the level of service proposed for the amount of traffic generated within the development will remain at acceptable levels. A traffic study determined that a dedicated left turn signal may be beneficial at the intersection of Adams St. and Victory Dr. to continue to assist with traffic conditions. Staff will continue to work with all parties to determine an appropriate solution. 

Staff recommends approval of the final plat and conditional use permit for the Victory Ridge Development with the following conditions:

1. The applicant shall submit a geotechnical evaluation and bluff stability study for review and approval prior to building permit submittal. 
2. The applicant shall be a willing participant in further evaluation of the signal phasing and upgrades at the intersection of N. Victory Dr. and Adams St. and agree to cost participation of warranted left turn land movement improvements.
3.  If the grouped housing project on the subject parcel is constructed in phases, a phasing plan shall be submitted for review and approval, which demonstrates conformance to all standards for each phase of the development.
4. The applicant shall install bicycle parking which conforms to the Mankato City Code.
5. The applicant shall provide a photometric plan that demonstrates conforming lighting levels at the property line. This shall be provided with the building permit submission for the structures.
6. The applicant shall provide exterior light fixture cut sheets. All exterior light fixtures shall conform to Mankato City Code.
7. The applicant shall obtain a sign permit for any desired site signage prior to fabrication and installation.
8. The required landscaping shall be installed prior to, or in conjunction with, occupancy of the premise.
9. Prior to occupancy of any units, a rental license issued by the City of Mankato shall be in place.
10. The applicant shall submit a snow removal and storage plan for the proposed grouped housing project.