New housing starts in Waconia leveled off last year after a surge in 2021 and 2022.
Lane Braaten, community development director, shared the numbers in a 2023 land use summary report to the Waconia planning commission and city council at recent meetings. The complete report will be available soon on the city website: waconia.org.
Seventy-one new homes and 16 multi-family/townhome units were constructed in the city last year, Braaten reported. That follows 2022 when nearly 400 new housing units were built – more than 240 of those coming from new apartment complexes that have gone up in the community, although single-family homes still comprise about two-thirds of the housing mix in Waconia.
Most housing activity last year occurred in Waterford development (32 units), Orchard Park (26), The Fields (16), Woodland Creek (6), and Interlaken 8th Addition (6), which now is essentially built out, Braaten said.
Meanwhile, available single-family housing inventory stands at about 355 available lots, largely resulting from the groundwork laid from 2018-2020 in platting new undeveloped property that added to what had been constrained lot inventory in the city in recent years, Braaten said. Annexation activity was not significant last year – Sandy Shores the main development, although more requests could be coming in 2024, he indicated.
In terms of commercial activity, some 2023 major projects included the Twin Cities Orthopedics addition currently underway, Bode Gray’s restaurant and speakeasy, Scooter’s Coffee shop, and a few automotive related business developments.
From a commercial/industrial perspective, there are 19 commercial lots available in the city totaling 37 acres and three industrial lots equating to about 7.65 acres.
In total, the city issued 1,862 building permits last year including additions, remodels, garages, decks, and other improvements. That included a growing number of e-permits (450), a method first adopted in 2022 for property owners and contractors to obtain permits online versus over the counter at city hall.
The total construction value of all building permits in 2023 amounted to about $84.6 million.
City council business
At its meeting on Feb. 20, the council approved a setback variance for an historic property at 320 Vine Street built in 1900 that will enable the owner to remove the existing deck and replace it with a porch addition to attempt to replicate the historic design of the original structure.
The council also recognized the promotion of firefighters Aaron Jurek and Matt McDougall to the position captain during the officer selection process with a formal swearing in and badge pinning.
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