During last week’s Becker City Council meeting, several motions in regards to the new housing development by Avalon Homes passed, including: 

• A re-zoning of the area;

• Approval of a conditional use permit (CUP) for construction of the development, and; 

• Establishment of a preliminary and final plat.

Council discussed some issues that were raised by residents of the area regarding traffic, especially on the street by the schools, which can be difficult to navigate during dropoff and pickup times. The council said they may have to make changes to the plan as it comes together to mitigate traffic issues.

Committee Reports

Parks and recreation commission recently met to discuss designing a new skate park and relocating the community gardens to Pleasant Valley.

Golf Committee reviewed their budget and finances for the year so far. 

Other committee items were represented in council business.

C-HWY Ordinance

Council approved a change to the ordinance to the C-HWY zone (commercial area along Hwy. 10.) This will effect lot requirements in this area.

 The city engineer noted that the C-HWY area did not have a stormwater management system in place, which, although not an issue for each lot individually, could lead to flooding on the roads. The director of public works said flooding was highly unlikely, however, and council proceeded with the approval of the ordinance changes. 

Drought Response

This summer and last summer have been dry, so city staff has been looking into ways the city can conserve water and preserve city infrastructure. 

Council approved a motion to change the city grass ordinance so homeowners may now allow grass to grow to eight inches rather than six inches. Studies have shown that longer grass is more resistant to dry conditions. 

In Other Business, the Council:

• Approved a CUP for Xcel to work on transmission lines on Sherburne Ave. S.;

• Approved an auditing services contract with Abdo through 2026.