With the development of a former golf course between interstates 94 and 494, Maplewood has the opportunity to do something rare for a mostly built-out inner-ring suburb: figure out what to do with what, for this city, is a sizable chunk of land.

Last month, representatives from developer D.R. Horton presented plans for a housing development to Maplewood community members at the former site of the Ponds at Battle Creek, a 92-acre, Ramsey County-owned nine-hole golf course that closed in 2021.

Residents brought their opinions. Many are still angry the course — which they called uniquely beautiful for its namesake wetlands — was shuttered. Some balked at the density developers pitched, at 239 homes. Others worried that home prices, approaching $500,000 for single-family houses and $400,000 for townhouses, are too expensive for Maplewood, where median household incomes are about $87,000 per year. Members of a local environmental group voiced concerns about the effect of development on wetlands and on wildlife they've spotted there, including the endangered rusty patched bumble rubee. There were also concerns about noise from the nearby St. Paul Police gun range.

Residents weren't the only ones who balked at developers' plans. "I was rather disappointed," Mayor Marylee Abrams told developers when they presented plans at a City Council workshop in July. "I think this is the biggest site in Maplewood that is not developed. I'm going to pay particular attention to the quality, that it matches what that property really deserves."

Council Member Rebecca Cave said she felt the plans "look like pretty cheaply built homes.'".

At the second and less rancorous of two community meetings, held last week, D.R. Horton representatives acknowledged the feedback and said they expect to come back to the city with revised plans later this year.

How we got here

The future of the former golf course has been in question for years, and it's not the first local golf course redevelopment to inspire debate. As the popularity of golf ebbs, many in the Twin Cities have closed with plans for redevelopment, including Hillcrest in St. Paul, being redeveloped as the Heights, Thompson Oaks in West St. Paul, Mississippi Dunes in Cottage Grove and Carriage Hills and Parkview in Eagan.

County officials announced plans to close the Ponds in 2019, citing operating losses, which teed off contentious conversations about its future.

In early 2022, the county rejected three developer proposals for the site, including for a private golf course, single-family housing development and a senior and multifamily housing development, saying they did not fit with commissioners' visions for the site. The county declined to release the proposals, but one was from D.R. Horton.

Later that year, the county offered to sell the course to Maplewood, which declined, saying it was outside the city's budget. Early last year, the county again asked developers to submit proposals, selecting national developer D.R. Horton.

Ramsey County Board Chair Victoria Reinhardt advocated keeping the Ponds open, but said ultimately the votes weren't there.

Now, the development is a huge opportunity for Maplewood and Ramsey County, she said. Reinhardt said she thinks residents want to see the Ponds developed but in a way that works for the community.

Reinhardt said the site's future is now between D.R. Horton and the city, which holds the authority to rezone the property.

"The county has taken its action, and so this does not come back to the County Board," she said, so long as the plan is within the parameters set out in the county's agreement with the developer.

Mayor Abrams said Thursday she had initially hoped to see the Ponds remain a golf course, calling it a "jewel." She said while she was initially disappointed with D.R. Horton's plan, she's optimistic the revised one will fit community needs.

"As the council ... we get one chance to get this right, and it's just such a unique opportunity," she said. "We're going to be very cautious. We're going to recognize how important this land is to our community, and we want to get the best possible project that we can."

The plans

Plans D.R. Horton presented to City Council members and residents called for 162 single-family houses and 77 townhouses, a net density of 2.9 units per acre. In Crestview, west of the Ponds, the density is 2.4 units per acre, while the townhouses south of that neighborhood are 3.6 units per acre, said D.R. Horton representative Deb Ridgeway at a meeting Aug. 21. D.R. Horton did not respond to a request for comment for this story.

Ridgeway and her colleague Mike Suel urged residents to give feedback that could be incorporated into the revised plan.

Residents who live on the west side of the Ponds raised concerns about how close the proposed development come to their houses. John Zakelj, the president of Friends of Maplewood Nature, a nonprofit that advocates for green space in Maplewood, said his group's members are concerned about the wetlands, citing an overall decline in wetlands in Minnesota, and about losing wildlife habitat.

"We're not opposed to housing at this site, but we have offered to work with the developer to minimize the impact on the environment and to preserve as much of the natural habitat as possible, especially for the rusty patched bumble bee, and the developer is saying that they will work with us," he said.

Reinhardt said she thinks that, based on feedback, the developer's future plans will have a different density. Also to be determined is management of any parks and trails and how to keep them open to the public — something City Council members requested — and whether or not there will be a homeowners association.