SPICER -- Groundwork started this week on the Windsong on Green Lake townhome development in Spicer.
Construction on the first building in the development is expected to be completed in April, said developer Jim Martinson of Martinson Holdings out of the Twin Cities.
The first building will have three units, two of which have been sold to former property owners of the site. A purchase agreement has been signed for another unit, he said.
In all, 18 townhomes will be built on the site, which is on Lake Avenue South between the Northern Inn and Beach Street.
Martinson expects to complete the development in two and a half years, or shorter depending on how quickly they sell.
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"Spicer definitely needs more housing," Martinson said.
The townhomes are located across the street from Green Lake and start at $289,000. Five single-family homes had been located on the site.
Footings were being poured this week, and Martinson expects framing work to start next week.
The Spicer City Council approved a conditional use permit and developer's agreement for the project in split votes.
Council members voting against those motions had concerns about impervious surface and open space requirements on the property.
The development is using rain gardens and a permeable pavement material for its driveways and walkways to control stormwater runoff. Some council members, however, questioned the permeable pavement material's effectiveness.
