On June 3, the Hastings City Council approved an amendment to the comprehensive plan as well as a rezoning for the southwest corner of Pleasant Drive and South Frontage Road to allow a commercial property to be built there. The 3.9-acre property, currently owned by the Hastings Economic Development and Redevelopment Authority (HEDRA) was zoned to medium density residential before the change to commercial at the city council meeting.
According to Hastings Community Development Director John Hinzman, the site is under consideration from a “national retailer,” with a land use application to be completed by the end of the year in order to move forward.
“The developer doesn’t want to be named at this point. They want to make sure the project is a go before there is an announcement,” said Hinzman.
“We hope that a commercial development will encourage and inspire other commercial developments in this area,” said Councilor Jen Fox at the June 3 city council meeting.
The Hastings planning commission approved the amendment to the comprehensive plan on May 13, with a single dissenting vote. At the meeting there was discussion about the ability to separate the homes that surround the property from whatever commercial development might be there as well as issues of drainage and runoff for the property as much of it is currently a ponding basin.
In regards to drainage, Hinzman said, “The developer is confident that he can not only have provisions for the existing drainage of the property, but also for drainage that would be generated through development of the site.”
Before voting, Commissioner Chris Teiken expressed concern not only about the effects on nearby houses of changing a residential property into a commercial property, but in the city’s ability to control what future commercial properties might do with the land.
“We might have a site plan that is one thing, but five years from now that building could flip to something else that we can’t really control,” said Teiken.
While the specifics of what the commercial property might be at the site are not yet known, what is known is that the developer for the project is Mint Development, a local developer owned by Rob Barse and known for renovating The Confluence Hotel in downtown Hastings.
Rob Barse did not respond to calls for comment on this project.
The potential sale of the Pleasant Drive property comes along with the placement of Westview Mall on the Hastings Economic Development and Redevelopment Authority’s (HEDRA) strategic plan. According to the plan adopted on May 7, HEDRA will “Support owner in marketing of lease opportunities, site improvements and expanded commercial options Staff time,” and plans to “Facilitate development of additional commercial building space within the parking lot of Westview Mall.”
As far as specifics for this project, “what that means at this point is unclear,” said Hinzman.