by Dennis Dalman
Plans are underway to construct a five-building apartment complex totaling 500 units, the largest one yet in Sartell’s history.
The Sartell City Council members, at their July 14 meeting, approved an annexation of the land from LeSauk Township, whose town board had previously approved the annexation. The council also approved a preliminary site plan and zoning for Multi-Family Residential for the Scout Haven development. Council members voted unanimously, 5-5, for those three requests.
Sartell Administrator Anna Gruber, using a slide show, reviewed the Scout Haven proposal before the public hearing was officially opened.
Only two audience members spoke during the hearing – one of them with a brief question about road access, the other being the applicant of the project, Riley Kephart, who is the owner and representative of Unique Opportunities, based in Alexandria, Minn.
Located near the Sartell Community Center and Lake Francis, the complex, dubbed “Scout Haven,” will be built in an area bounded by Scout Drive, Leander Drive and Dehler Drive.
With city input, a regional amenities center/recreation park will also be created near the complex on about eight acres of property near the Scout Haven apartments.
While addressing the city council, Kephart said they would like to start building as soon as this winter, at least to get a good start if not a total finish of the first of five apartment buildings. It will be a building of 100 apartment units. The others to follow will have units ranging from 36 to 80 units. The apartments, Kephart said, will include a large variety for people’s needs – from one-bedroom-one-bath units to studio apartments and much larger three-bedroom apartments.
There will also be two garage-type multiple-parking buildings, an underground parking facility and a parking lot, plus lots of green space throughout the project area.
All through their comments and questions, the Sartell City Council members emphasized what a huge help those apartments will be because of people moving to Sartell as businesses and other ventures keep expanding. They include the CentraCare Medical Campus and a new University of Minnesota Medical School on that campus, as well as Niron Magnetics that will build in Sartell and employ at least 75 people.
The project, council members noted, will also greatly increase the city’s tax base.
For more information on Scout Haven, read upcoming editions of the Newsleaders as more details become available.
