Douglas Dr./Hwy 55 Development Plan in Final Stages

Golden Valley is close to having a plan for new retail and office space at Highway 55 and Douglas Drive, according to City Planner Joe Hogeboom.

“It’s a pretty critical section,” Hogeboom said Tuesday. “It’s right in the geographic center of our city, so to have things go in kind of haphazardly, we thought would kind of be irresponsible.”

The city council passed a development moratorium on the site last year to study possible land uses. The council will decide July 5 whether to approve another moratorium to complete the master plan and recommend a new zoning district for the site, but Hogeboom said planning would most likely be complete by the end of the summer.

Mayor Linda Loomis said an additional moratorium is not necessary to continue the planning process, adding, “It seems like we’re preventing things from happening on this property.”

If the council approves the moratorium July 5, city staff will move forward to create a new zoning district.  The city’s Comprehensive Plan would then be amended to designate the area as mixed use.

Hogeboom said there have not been any development inquiries and there is not a specific developer in mind for the site. He added that by changing the zoning designation, the city is allowing for retail and office development to happen naturally.