Sartell Continues Discussion on New Citywide Zoning Map

SARTELL --Sartell officials continued to discuss a major citywide zoning plan during Tuesday’s special city council meeting.

The change eliminates the previous R-5 planning unit development zones and replace them with a mixture of single-family (R-1), two-family residential (R-2), multi-family residential (R-3), rural residential (R-R) and multiple industrial (L-1, L-2) and business districts (B-2, B-3).

Last week, several residents in the Huntington neighborhood addressed their concerns with the council. The neighborhood, zoned as a single-family residential, has seen an explosion of apartments along Roberts Road, just north of the neighborhood, making residents feel boxed-in.

Residents told the council since the apartments were built, they’ve seen an increase volume in traffic along Heritage Drive, and an uptick in crime. While they are not opposed to more apartments in the city, they feel development should be spread out and not congregated into one area.

Sartell Mayor Ryan Fitzthum says the feedback they got from residents was heard and the consensus from city officials is they want to see Sartell remain a neighborhood community.

The message we will likely send Monday night is that we will restrict further apartment build out and put our focus on single family residential development.

As for the parcels near the Huntington neighborhood, the council agreed to designate those areas a R-2 (townhomes or patio homes) developments.

Fitzthum says as far as possible apartments go, those developments will be driven along the Pinecone Road corridor to help encourage business development.

The three areas where apartments will be allowed will be adjacent to Pinecone Raod, which will allow for smooth traffic flow and help build out around the Pinecone Coborns Marketplace.

No action was taken Tuesday. The council will look to officially approved the new zoning changes at their Monday meeting.