The three PUDs being considered were for Kuepers Highland Apartments (901 N. Highland Avenue); River Haven Housing (1800 North Highland Avenue and 1425-1625 Maplewood Drive) and Land Haven Development (2211 Jacobs Street).

Following the public hearings, the planning commission recommend approval of the PUD for Kuepers Highland Apartments and the Land Haven, but tabled a decision on The River Haven Housing PUD pending further information on project landscaping and property grading.

The Kuepers Highland Apartment PUD calls for construction of four, three-story apartment buildings, eight detached garages along with a pool, children’s playground, dog park, parking lots, storm water pond, and the extension of 10th North Street from North Highland Avenue to the west.

Each building would have 38 apartment units with a mix of one and two-bedroom units, with a total of 148 units on the site.

The New Ulm Planning Commission voted to recommend at Planned Unit Development (PUD) for the Kuepers Highland Apartments at 901 Highland Avenue. The PUD would allow for the construction of apartment projects. Journal File photo by Schuldt

City Planner John Knisley said staff received multiple calls, emails and letter from neighborhood residents with concern about the development. Knisley said some of the common issues were inconsistency with state statute regarding zoning, traffic, public safety and tax equity.

Knisley said this project had gone through the formal process to amend the zoning from medium and low density to high density. A study indicated the segment of North Highland Avenue would have traffic comparable to North Garden Street between 5th N. Street and US Highway 14. Information from Brown County Assessors office indicated all residential property values had dramatically increased since 2019; including single family residential properties located next to apartments.

Though staff received multiple comments against the project before the meeting, no public comments were received during the public hearing.

Commissioner and City Councilor Larry Mack asked if the development impacted New Ulm High School, located northwest of the property.

Knisley said staff had reached to the school but had received not comments on the project.

The Land Have Development is 6.85 acres of land directly north of Walmart. The Planned Unit Development (PUD) for the property would subdivide the land into 29 lots and create an association for storage facility/residential dwellings called “barndominiums.” Journal File photo by Clay Schuldt

Commissioner Bill Turnblad made the motion to recommend the Kueper Highland Apartment PUD, with the condition it be identified are High Density Residential (R4) Planned Unit Development. The motion was approved with Commissioner Joe Schotzko abstaining.

Land Haven Development includes the construction of storage facilities, with the option for creating enclosed dwelling units. The PUD calls for 28 barndominium and six storage condominiums. A barndominium is a home that combines the look of a barn with the modern amenities of a traditional home. Storage condominiums are storage facilities that are owned by individuals instead of rented.

An association will managed the development, creating rules and regulations for the community.

Knisley said the barndominium concept is new to New Ulm, but is not new to Minnesota or the Midwest. The alternative housing concept is becoming popular.

There were no objections to the Land Haven project from the public.

Planning Commissioner Chair Anne Earl did ask if there was a plan for snowplowing in the development.

Knisley said the city is not responsible for removing snow within the Land Haven development. It will operate as a private association. The snow will need to be stored in the development. In cannot be pushed into Jacobs Street.

Commissioner Turnblad made the motion to recommend the PUD to the city council with a second from Mack. It was unanimously approved.

The public hearing for the River Haven Housing PUD received multiple comments for residents living in Maplewood Drive and was the most contentious of the projects.

The River Haven project is a mixed use development that would consist of two apartment building each with 48 units, town homes, twin homes and six single family homes. This would create 118 dwelling units on the site.

In 2022, the New Ulm City Council approved a PUD for the same site, then called Dreamville. The PUD called for the same number of dwelling units and housing types, but all the units were to be owned by a developer and rented. The new developer plans to sell the single family homes. Since original PUD gave the developer another two years to begin construction. That time has lapsed and is the reason a new PUD is required.

During the 2022, PUD public hearing many of the neighbors to the property objected to the project and returned to voice their original concerns which included impact to property values, increased traffic volumes and obstruction of view.

Many of the homeowners living across from the development were upset because the property was originally zoned as low density development.

Maplewood Drive resident Jim Skalicky, said when he and his wife first bought their home, the property across the street was zoned as residential. They were told only single family homes or twin homes would be built across from them.

“This changes all of that,” Skalicky said.

The proposed development calls for the construction of single family and twin homes directly across the street, but a four-story apartment building would be visible behind it, which would still be visible.

Skalicky and other resident pointed out that the River Haven project was on an elevated hill. If the apartment buildings were built without grading the land, the building would in effect be closer to a six story building than a four story building.

Commissioner Earl asked if there was a plan to grade the site down before construction began.

Knisley said there was a plan to grade the site but was uncertain how much dirt would be removed from the site.

Wendy Anderson, a representative of the project confirmed the developer were planning to grade the land down to reflect the Maplewood Drive homes, but could not give exact figures.

Commissioner Mack asked if it were possible to table a decision on the PUD until had answers to the land-grading question.

Knisley confirmed they had the option of tabling a decision.

Commissioner Turnblad made a motion to table until the commission had further questions about the solid grading on the property in addition to a landscaping plan, with a second from Commissioner Schotzko. The decision to table was unanimous.

The PUDs for Keupers Highland Apartments and Land Haven Development were forwarded to the New Ulm City Council for final approval. The two development projects will be on the council’s Tuesday, June 3 agenda.