Plog post update: Lakeview Golf Course Orono MN - Luxury Development
Planning is underway for the residential development of Orono’s Lakeview Public Golf Course. Since the 1950s 142 acres of land, located just west of North Arm on Lake Minnetonka, has been home to the Lakeview 18 hole public golf course.
For the past couple years the Lakeview Golf Course has been exploring every option to combat the increasing number of golf courses and rising taxes. In 2013, Lakeview Golf Course decided to bring their thoughts of developing the 142 acres of land before a city meeting for residential and council input. Their goal was to alleviate the dwindling margins from the course by rezoning the land in order to develop residential homes.
Since then, months have passed with multiple city meetings discussing all sides of the idea. After listening all sides, the Orono City Council, at the beginning of this year on January 13th, approved the zoning change in land use from Parks Recreation and Open Land to Rural Residential.
Below is a detailed summary of where the development is currently and what is on the horizon. At the city council meeting on March 24th Pat Hiller, the developer, displayed the unrefined development plans (pictured above) of 52 2-acre lots spread throughout Lakeview. Hiller stated the development of the 52 lots is designed to work with the 40 to 50 foot elevation changes throughout the site thus minimizing the grading impact. He also noted that the develpment team has been working with the Watershed District to properly conserve the natural beauty and wetlands around the 142 acres. Road access to the development will be from both North Arm Drive and West Branch Road. Between now and summer, testing and further refinement on the different aspects of the development will allow Hiller to present a preliminary plant application to the City Council in the coming months. Real Estate market surveys show the pricepoint for the homes in the development will range from $800,000 to $1.5 million.