The Wayzata City Council unanimously approved the subdivision of two large lakeshore properties along Bushaway Road into three single-family residential lots at its Aug. 18 meeting.
The Council voted 5-0 to approve Carpenter’s Point 3rd Addition at 535 and 555 Bushaway Road. The properties, owned by Bushaway Holdings, LLC, are located along the west side of Bushaway Road with frontage on Wayzata Bay.
The approval changes the existing two-lot configuration into three lots, each meeting the dimensional requirements of Wayzata’s R-1A Low Density Single Family Estate District.
No new homes were approved as part of Tuesday’s action. Conceptual building pads were included with the subdivision application to demonstrate that homes could be accommodated on each lot, but actual home designs, grading and other development details will be reviewed separately through future permitting.
Three Estate-Sized Lots
City Planner Haily Hedblom told the Council the proposed subdivision has a density of 0.47 units per acre, within the 0.25-to-0.5-unit-per-acre range established for Estate Single Family properties in Wayzata’s Comprehensive Plan.
The three proposed lots contain approximately 89,120, 91,878 and 95,315 square feet. Each exceeds the R-1A district’s minimum lot size of 80,000 square feet and meets minimum width and depth requirements.
Lot size was one of the considerations discussed by the Council.
City staff compared the proposed properties with 11 neighboring R-1A lots along Bushaway Road. Those properties range from approximately 41,700 square feet to more than 130,000 square feet, with an average of approximately 83,145 square feet.
Council members noted that the three proposed lots fall comfortably within the range already found along Bushaway Road, with five of the neighboring properties larger and six smaller than the proposed lots.
Council members generally expressed support for the subdivision and for seeing activity on a property that has remained vacant for several years.
The two existing lots have been offered for sale for an extended period. One Council member said the subdivision could make eventual development of the property more economically feasible.
Conservation Easement Remains in Place
A substantial portion of the property is protected by a 106,108-square-foot perpetual conservation easement held by the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District.
The easement was established in 2019 and covers portions of the north, east and south sides of the property. It remains in effect following the subdivision and will continue with future ownership.
Because the original conservation easement prohibited the easement area from being divided or subdivided without Minnehaha Creek Watershed District approval, the property owner worked with the district to amend the agreement to allow the new three-lot configuration.
The Council added an additional condition to its approval requiring Minnehaha Creek Watershed District staff to be notified prior to construction, providing the district an opportunity for inspection.
Reported Eagle Nest Addressed
A reported eagle nesting area on the property was also addressed during review of the subdivision.
Rather than attempting to determine through the subdivision process what restrictions may ultimately apply to construction around the reported nesting area, the approval requires the property owner and future builders to comply with any applicable laws and regulations governing reported eagle nesting areas on the property.
Council members indicated that the eagle issue did not change their view of whether the three-lot subdivision itself should be approved, noting that the applicable environmental requirements would still have to be followed when development occurs.
Future Grading Must Return to Council
The property’s grading history will also place additional scrutiny on future construction.
Following demolition of the former residence in 2019, the City issued a grading permit that allowed significant grading and fill on the property. According to the City, that work reached the maximum amount of grading allowed under ordinance without separate City Council approval.
Some additional grading will be necessary before homes can ultimately be constructed because minimum building elevations must be achieved on each lot.
As a condition of the subdivision, however, any additional grading on any of the three properties will require City Council approval before a building permit can be issued.
The approval also requires an inventory of trees within the Bushaway Road right-of-way before building permits are issued. Future development must comply with City tree-preservation requirements, Shoreland Overlay District standards and applicable Hennepin County and watershed district requirements.
The creation of one additional residential lot also results in a $12,500 cash-in-lieu park dedication fee.
From the Piper House to Three New Lots
The property has a notable place in Wayzata’s lakeshore history.
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For decades, 555 Bushaway Road was home to the Piper House, a distinctive lakeshore residence overlooking Wayzata Bay. Wayzata.com publisher Dan Gustafson documented the property by drone before its 2019 demolition as part of his service on the Wayzata Heritage Preservation Board.
Following the demolition, the larger property was reconfigured in 2021. At the time, four underlying parcels were combined and replatted into the two lots that exist today, with the intent of allowing two new single-family homes.
Neither lot has since been developed.
Carpenter’s Point 3rd Addition now replaces that two-lot configuration with three conforming residential lots.
The Wayzata Planning Commission held a public hearing on the proposal July 20 and unanimously approved its report and recommendation supporting the subdivision on Aug. 3.
With the Council’s 5-0 vote on Aug. 18, the preliminary and final plat received City approval.
