Minnetonka Neighborhood Fights Senior Housing Proposal

As the population of Minnetonka grows older, the city continues to receive proposals for senior housing complexes. And although there is a need for the housing, it can cause an uproar in the neighborhood.

Scott Colehour is fighting a housing proposal at 17113 Minnetonka Blvd by Doran Companies. Colehour has even created a website, including a 3D map, that helps citizens understand the impact of the project.

"Our neighborhood is being invaded by an unwanted development project," Colehour said. 

An important note: The neighborhood is not against senior housing. The issues come in with the size of the proposed facility.

The proposed building would be three stories in height with an underground parking garage. It would contain 116 units of independent living, assisted living, memory care and care suites, as well as common residential amenities. 

As part of the project, the site of the small office building on the corner of Minnetonka Blvd and Rainbow Drive would need to be rezoned from B1 (Small Business) to R5 (High Density Residential.)

So far, the proposal has not been accepted. The Planning Commission rejected the plan for a three-story building with underground parking earlier this month. A scaled-down version of the plan will be presented to the City Council in April.

According to a city report, staff acknowledges that the "proposed project meets many of the goals and objectives identified in the comprehensive plan. Specifically, the project locates higher density residential development in a village center which provides services and amenities for the development, provides for greater diversity and choice in housing type, and meets an identified community housing need. However, in order to merit amending the comprehensive plan, the proposal must also maintain the integrity of established neighborhoods, and must be consistent with the physical character of the surrounding area. Staff finds that due to the size, height, and density of the proposed development, the project does not meet these strategic goals."

Still wary about future proposals for his neighborhood and others in the city, Colehour called the rejection of the current plan a "step in the right direction."