The Mendota Heights City Council has delayed until February 2 its consideration of a proposed 89-unit apartment complex on a vacant parcel in Mendota Plaza at the southeast corner of Dodd Road and Highway 62. The postponement is intended to give developer At Home Apartments time to work on a revised plan that addresses local concerns about the project.
At a December 13 work session, Mendota Heights residents asked for more open space around the new building; a larger, 25-foot setback from the curb; and a three-story rather than a four-story height.
Council members John Mazzitello and Ultan Duggan have been in discussions with At Home Apartments. They have also asked Howard Paster of Paster Properties, which owns Mendota Plaza, to consider adding open space north of the parking area of the plaza’s mall and reducing the amount of impervious surface throughout the plaza by narrowing streets. Those changes are aimed at promoting walkability and aesthetics of the plaza and would require Mendota Plaza businesses to be on board, Mazzitello said.
Last November, the council approved on a 3-2 vote At Home Apartments’ plan to construct a four-story, 58-unit apartment building on a vacant parcel at the northeast corner of Mendota Plaza. The Mendota Heights Planning Commission had previously voted 5-2 to recommend against that project and 6-1 against an 89-unit complex, citing concerns about increased congestion on Dodd Road near its intersection with Highway 62. The City Council has until February 23 to approve the 89-unit project.
— Casey Ek
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