Watertown City Council Approves Extensions for Ten Housing Development Projects

{KXLG – Watertown, SD} Citing unfinished infrastructure work ranging from sewer issues to incomplete paving, the Watertown City Council on Monday approved one-year extensions for development agreements for ten separate housing projects across the city. The move aims to provide developers with additional time to complete required public infrastructure improvements and allows the city to refine its development processes.

Presenting the motion, City Engineer Justin Petersen explained the extensions would push the completion date for all ten developments…

He indicated that many of the projects are “very, very close” to completion but require more time to address outstanding issues.

Councilman Kyle Peters inquired about the likelihood of completion within a year and whether Tax Increment Financing (TIF) was involved, which Petersen clarified as not being applicable to these developments.

Councilman Danforth raised the issue of process improvements, referencing an email from Interim City Manager/Chief Financial Officer Kristen Bobzien and previous discussions of a tiered system for development oversight. City Engineer Peterson responded…

When Councilman Danforth asked about developer bonding requirements, Peterson said that bonding was “off the table right now.”

The motion to approve the one-year extensions for all ten development agreements passed unanimously.

The affected developments, as outlined in the meeting agenda, are: Endres 3rd, Harmony Hill 3rd, Isabella 1st, KAK’s 4th, Kampeska Dunes 4th, Prairie’s Edge Estates, River Ridge Estates 7th, The Lakes of Willow Creek 1st, Valley View 2nd, and Valley View 3rd. According to city documents, the original completion dates for these agreements have expired, with delinquencies ranging from under a year to over six years, averaging just under two years.

Agenda documents detailed a summary of the primary infrastructure issues preventing certificates of completion for each development. These include:

Endres 3rd: Rejected storm and sanitary sewer lines requiring fixes and re-testing, along with needed sidewalk and ADA ramp installations.
Harmony Hill 3rd: Pond inlet riprap, storm sewer inlet grouting, and completion of a lift station.
Isabella 1st: A turning lane on 33rd Street at Highway 212 (required by a traffic study) and a short stretch of sanitary sewer under Highway 212.
KAK’s 4th: Fixes to ADA pedestrian ramps and riprap installation for a culvert.
Kampeska Dunes 4th: Rejected storm sewer requiring fixes and re-testing, sidewalk adjacent to a drainage pond, and final asphalt lift.
Prairie’s Edge Estates: Final grading, ADA ramps, and a valley gutter installation.
River Ridge Estates 7th: Addressing underlying compaction issues causing settling on 7th Street NW.
The Lakes of Willow Creek 1st: Finishing a section of 28th Street near Peterbilt, completing a lift station and private drive, and installing sidewalk and ADA ramps.
Valley View 2nd & third: Installation of ADA pedestrian ramps and valley gutters, and completion of the final asphalt lift on portions of 18th Street and 5th Avenue (Valley View 2nd) and less than half of the final asphalt lift (Valley View 3rd).

Listen to the full meeting below: