Chanhassen Residents Push Back On Former Prince Property Development
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A proposed development on land once owned by music icon Prince has nearby residents pushing back.
The nearly 200-acre property butts up to Lake Lucy, Lake Ann and wetlands in Chanhassen. It was put on the market a year and a half after Prince died in April of 2016.
READ MORE: Chanhassen Sees Uptick In Prince Fans Near Anniversary Of His Death
Real estate developer Lennar wants to build a housing development on the land. On Tuesday night, the city's planning commission got feedback from residents about a proposal to build at least 180 homes on the property.
Council chambers and an overflow room were both packed as Lennar representatives detailed and defended their plans. One idea would set aside 50 acres for a city park in exchange for more homes on less land.
Mary Jane Olson has lived in the picturesque Chanhassen neighborhood bordering the Prince property for 25 years.
"You're going to have a bunch of homes just crammed in with no yard space so that they can have this big park," Olson said.
She also worries about the impact this could have on the natural beauty of the area.
"We are concerned about the wildlife. There's a lot back there and I don't know where it's going to go," Olson said.
Neighbor Josh Kimber shares those concerns. He even started a Facebook group for residents to follow the issue.
"This used to be the Prince property, and this proposal wants to get rid of every tree and flatten the land to make room for homes. That's just unfortunate in the city of Chanhassen," Kimber said.
The city council will officially vote on this next Monday. Prince's estate says they would welcome the memorialization of Prince in connection with the development, but that they would have to get the proper approval.
