Another Lennar housing development is inching closer to reality in Victoria.
At its June 23 regular meeting, the Victoria City Council approved the preliminary plat, preliminary rezoning, annexation request and a Metropolitan Council comprehensive plan amendment for the new West Creek Village residential development.
Plans call for 50 single-family home lots, 18 twin homes and 56 townhomes on an 88-acre parcel north of County Road 10 and west of the Marsh Hollow housing development. Single-family homes will be 1,800+ square feet in size and start at $560,000. The twin homes and townhomes will range in size from 1,517 and 2,390 square feet, with prices starting at $380,000.
Lennar first proposed the development in July 2024, when the original plans called for 156 townhomes and just 15 single-family. But feedback from city officials resulted in a different mix of housing options within the development.
Josh Metzer, land entitlement manager for Lennar Minnesota, said the developer will sometimes walk away from a project if negotiations drag out, but Lennar’s previous experience with the city has been very positive and prompted them to continue to pursue the project.
“We love Victoria,” he told the council. “We like being here, we’ve been successful here and we want to continue that.”
The proposed development did require some adjustments in city’s minimum lot size rules and setbacks to allow for the unit density on the site. Three single-family home lots will be less than 7,000 square feet, well below the 12,000-square-foot requirement the city currently has. Several other recent developments in Victoria (including Marsh Hollow and Huntersbrook) previously requested and received permission to build on similar smaller lots.
According to preliminary plans, West Creek Village will have just one road access, until more development occurs off the future westward extension of Creekside Lane. A gated access for emergency vehicles only will provide a second temporary second access to the neighborhood from County Road 10.
The property is currently in Laketown Township and required annexation into Victoria. The township previously approved that annexation request and the council also approved it.
Chaska Creek runs through a portion of the parcel, triggering shoreland regulations that restrict some of the single-family lots.
Lennar is proposing a quarter-acre community park in the development, well below the city’s greenspace requirements for the parcel. The developer will take instead advantage of a city-allowed fee in lieu of parkland, likely to total about $400,000.
During the meeting, Council member Greg Evansky questioned the lack of a sidewalk along one side of the development’s longest roadway. He suggested that sidewalks be installed on both sides.
He noted the city has compromised a great deal to make West Creek Village possible.
“We’re shoehorning a whole lot of infrastructure into a very small, narrow path,” he said. “I don’t think it’s an unreasonable ask to get something that’s going to improve safety in the neighborhood, quality of life and walkability.”
The council voted in favor of an amendment to the preliminary plat, adding a sidewalk on both sides of Street D.
Council member Andy Reiff, serving as acting mayor for the meeting, said he is appreciative of the way Lennar has compromised and adjust the mix of home options to meet city demands for the development.
“It will say, overall, it’s very evident you guys are working to make this work,” he said.
If all goes according to schedule, Lennar hopes to begin utility and street construction this summer. Homes could be under construction by the fall.
According to preliminary estimates, full occupancy of the neighborhood will occur within four to five years.
Lennar is a well-known builder in the metro. Nearby developments include Laketown in Victoria; Pioneer Vista in Chaska; and Timber Creek and Oak Tree in Carver.
