CPDC has completed its move from Roseville to a new office location in Bayport, MN. The developer and founding partner of Victor Gardens has moved to another of it’s development projects, Inspiration.
CPDC’s new address is:
1215 Inspiration Parkway
Bayport, MN 55003
Phone #651-275-4064
Fax #651-275-4043.
Email addresses have remained the same.
The Social Committee will be showing "Are We Done Yet?" at 7:30PM in Val Jean Park on Friday, September 7th for all families that are interested. Everything is BYO (bring your own) so please bring lawn chairs/blankets, something to drink and ingredients for S'Mores. If anyone has a fire-pit we could use that evening, please Julie Bixby know.
If it looks like rain, we'll do movie night the following Friday.
No need to RSVP...hope to see you all there!
More information has emerged about the new construction projects near Victor Gardens’ main entrance. The following is a Star-Tribune article from the Business Section dated August 13, 2007, written by Don Jacobsen:
Hot Property
VICTOR GARDENS MEDICAL OFFICE PROJECT
Southwest corner of County Road 8 and Victor Hugo Blvd., Hugo
Type: Medical
Area: 15,000 square feet
Developer: Mondo Management
Details: Commercial development in fast-growing Hugo is continuing apace this summer, as the housing slowdown that has affected many suburbs isn't hitting as hard in this northern Washington County town.
The intersection of Victor Hugo Boulevard and County Road 8 (also known as Frenchman Road) is only a few hundred yards east of an Interstate 35E exit. A county road construction project has also made it more accessible from Hwy. 61, just a half-mile farther east. This juxtaposition has proved beneficial for Victor Gardens, a master-planned residential community, which, according to its developers, is still seeing brisk home-buying activity for its planned 650 housing units.
And that, in turn, has meant sufficient demand for commercial buildings at the Victor Hugo and County Road 8 intersection to spur construction activity in three of its quadrants. The latest groundbreaking was held last month in the southeast quadrant for a 15,000-square-foot commercial building owned by Northern Lights Holdings LLC, an entity controlled by White Bear Lake-based Northern Lights Pediatrics, a health care firm that will be the new building's main occupant.
Additional tenants in the new building will probably include other types of health care providers, says Jeff Wallis, a principal with Mondo Management, the codeveloper and leasing agent for the building.
"We're looking at a December opening for this building, with tenants possibly moving in by January," he said, adding that a similarly sized retail building in the southwest quadrant, developed by St. Paul-based Positive Companies and anchored by a Northeast Eye Care clinic, is also under construction; it is set for an opening within 90 days.
"We're also managing that building, and it's 70 percent leased," Wallis said. "It will include a Fantastic Sam's, a Guys and Dolls salon and a USA Karate studio in addition to the eye clinic."
Last year, the intersection's northeast corner got a retail jump-start with a project spearheaded by United Properties called Victor Marketplace, including a Festival Foods store operated by Knowlan's Super Markets Inc. Also slated for the center was a 5,000-square-foot liquor store, operated by Knowlan's, called On the Rocks Wine and Spirits, and 15,000 square feet of additional retail.
Victor Gardens is being codeveloped by Contractors Property Developers Co. and Pratt Homes. Shelley Tompkins, a vice president and marketing director for Contractors, said that about two-thirds of the development's townhomes and about half of its single-family houses have been sold, and that the retail portion has been scrupulously designed to mesh with them.
"It's unlike many other suburban retail centers in that it's just as easy to walk to as drive to," she said. "It has French European design features and really fits in with the whole idea of making Frenchman Road the front door to Hugo."
DON JACOBSON
Reprinted from Star Tribune, August 13, 2007
A small group of homeowners met on Monday to find solutions to our Victor Gardens Community Associations budget problems. This “Board Advisory Group” was formed from homeowners who attended the July 18 Neighbor’s Meeting.
The largest problem the Association has boils down to a lack of funds. The Victor Gardens Community Association (The Master Association) is on track to spend more than it receives. A large portion of the Association’s income is made up of "Developer's Contributions". These payments have not been received by the Community Association so far. The Board Advisory Group met to begin to find ways to re-start those payments, and look at other ways to address our budget problems.
To view the Associations recent financial documents, click on the “Financials” link.
To view more about why the group was formed, please read the Thursday, July 19 post “Neighbor’s Meeting Held at City Hall”.
UPDATE:
The previously announced method of collecting Townhomes and Gables homeowners email addresses has been discontinued. The address:emaillist@victorgardensnews.org is no longer monitored. Townhomes and Gables Associations are planning new email databases for residents. An announcement will be made when updates are available.
The Social Committee has organized Victor Gardens’ National Night Out 2007. The event will take place on Tuesday, August 7, at 6:30 PM in Arbre Park.
Washington County Sheriff's Deputies will pay us a visit, along with fun and games for children. It’s a potluck event, so please bring a desert treat to share. You’re encouraged to bring along basketballs, volleyballs, frisbees, etc. to play with friends and neighbors. Many fun prizes, including some from the Minnesota Wild will be given away!
For general info about National Night Out, please visit:http://www.nationalnightout.org
Shelly Tompkins, of CPDC has asked that I share some information about the new retail development in Victor Gardens. Ground has broken on the Southwest corner of Victor Hugo Blvd. and Frenchman road . Work continues on the Southeast corner’s retail expansion.
In the process of preparing for last week’s Neighbor’s Meeting, I asked Gina Higgins, our Community Manager, Shelly Tompkins, and Dave Hempel of CPDC to help me do a little fact-checking. I appreciate their help in clarifying a few important items. As part of her response, Mrs. Tompkins asked me to convey a message to the group. I read her note to the attendees of the meeting, but I thought it was also important to share with those who were not able to attend.
“One thing regarding the HOA dues that I would like the residents to recognize is that the HOA covenants allow an annual increase of dues no greater than (I believe its an accurate percentage) 10%. Our assessment dues to residents did not take place prior to April of 2004 and prior to that Developer took on 100% of the maintenance funding. We could have legally started collecting from day one/sale one to save our maintenance investment and chose not to. Over the last three years the resident dues could have legally increased to allow a reduction in the Developer Shortfall commitment. We chose not to and instead provide savings to the residents. The approximate amount of Development Shortfall savings through increase to both single family and townhomes totals +/- $30,000/year. The reason I want the residents to recognize it is because it is easy to point fingers at those who they feel are responsible for our present circumstances and our lack of participation, but they need to equally recognize and at the very least appreciate the savings that they have received over the years and our commitment to build and maintain the best of the best.” - Shelly Tompkins, CPDC
In order to find out how far along the Community Association is moving towards homeowner control, it’s important to find out what the total numbers are. The following are responses to questions I asked Dave Hempel, of CPDC on July 23 about the number of properties sold and built. He responded immediately and clarified a few key topics. He also has shared P.U.D. (Planned Unit Development) Overall Unit Counts. It helps to describe part of the process towards a fully built-out Victor Gardens.
Below are questions I asked (MV), and Mr. Hempel (DH) responded:
MV Question: According to your email last week, Currently there are 68 sold out of a total of 195. Neither number seems accurate?
DH Answer: The 68 was used at time of preparing the budget by Gina Higgins. She will add a sales project number, we give her typically, to project future lot sales to arrive at an average number of lots paying dues for the current year's budget forecast. The 195 is number of final platted recorded lots. This number again will change as the number of lots are final platted. Please see PUD unit count attached.
MV Question: The plan appears to show 116 Single Family Village lots drawn in: Victor Gardens 1st Addition and Victor Gardens East- Phases 1, 2 & 3. Roughly 71 of those lots are currently built or under construction.
DH Answer: VG 1st has 80 single family lots, 41 traditional and 39 cottage lots recorded with 64 lots built upon or under construction.
MV Question: The plan appears to show 31 Single Family Village lots in: Victor Gardens East - 2nd Addition (The Ryland Homes area). Roughly 4 of those are currently built or under construction.
DH Answer: VG East has 33 traditional lots with 7 lots built upon or under construction. VG East 2nd - Ryland/Pratt neighborhood has 60 single family lots, 31 traditional lots (Ryland closed on 15 lots with option for remaining lots) and 29 cottage lots (Pratt Villas) with 7 lots built upon or under construction for a total of 78 single family lots built upon out of 173 platted single family lots.
MV Question: The plan also shows 31 Single Family Village lots listed in Future Phase. Nine of those lots are currently drawn on land the Developer doesn’t own.
DH Answer: The overall plan depicts how in the future the streets may loop thru the area (typical requirement of city) to show that lots have access and that we provide street access to adjacent parcel for continuity. The nine lots shown outside the boundary of VG are not included in any unit count in the budget.
MV Question: It appears that there are 178 lots drawn in the most current site plan, although you have said that the number is 195. 75 lots are currently built or under construction, Your number is 68.
DH Answer: The plan totals 176 platted lots and 22 future lots to be platted to arrive at 198 single family lots overall.
MV Question: Where are the additional 17 lots (give or take a few) that your number reflects?
DH Answer: Please see the updated PUD Unit counts (see below)
MV Question: Are builders model homes assessed the same dues as the rest of the homes?
DH Answer: Yes
MV: Are they included in your numbers?
DH: Yes, except that the HOA budget has a unit number lower which at the time of preparing may of been accurate.
MV Question: Is it true that Ryland Homes has closed on 15 of its 31 lots?
DH Answer: Yes
MV: Are those included in your number?
DH: I've asked Gina to verify we’re billing them
MV Question: If the Developer does not own all the land for Future Phase (currently owned by someone else) why (or how) can it be counted towards the total?
DH Answer: We own all the lots shown within the boundary shown as VG. The area outside the boundary is only an illustration the city typically requires to show how the street maybe aligned in the future.
MV Question: Is there a VG 5th Addition?
DH Answer: The 5th addition is the old land office site which is preliminary platted into the 7 town home lots. Previously, VG East was called 5th Addition there may lie some confusion.
MV Question: What’s the difference between “Traditional” and “Cottage” Single Family lots?
DH Answer: Yes, there are two single family lot designations, one is "traditional" which has a larger lot size and different lot setbacks. The other is "cottage" lots which are typically smaller lots in size and have reduced setback than traditional lots.
Note: final development plans may reduce or increase the number of lots and/or square footage in the future commercial areas.