Planned development to feature 55 and older housing, first-time homes

More options for first-time homebuyers and older buyers are coming soon to Tea.

Developer Kelly Nielson with Nielson Construction brought site plans to the city late in 2019 for a planned development in the Serenity Park Addition on the east side of Heritage Parkway and south of 271st Street. Nielson hopes to start the development this year.

City planning and zoning administrator Kevin Nissen noted the design theory for a planned development is to allow an architect or engineer the creativity in laying out a subdivision plan and allowing for multiple uses. Planned developments have their own zoning ordinance.

“Each development kind of sets its own criteria. It’s a negotiation effort between the city and the developer. He may want this and the city may want that,” Nissen said. “It’s a negotiating tool really between the city and the developer to come up with, overall, we feel is a better subdivision from just going with the conventional method just using straight zoning with the R1 or R2 residential.”

In his planned development, Nielson plans to offer a few different kinds of housing. About 15 acres of the 95-acre development is dedicated to 55 and older housing with single-family condos, twin homes and an apartment complex. That section will have its own homeowners association.

“I have a fair amount of land and your prospects for the Tea community and I’m trying to figure out how to reach different demographics and/or buyers,” Nielson said.

In the planned development, Nielson is working to create little communities within a community. He is planning some extra green space and a city park on the south end of the development.

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