BURLINGTON Hundreds of additional houses could be dotting the landscape of an expanded Burlington city limits in a few years.
The sight of heavy equipment forging a road up the terrain behind what is known as Speedway corner, west of Minot, is just the beginning of construction yet to occur this year and next. Developers of Highlands Ranch Subdivision are preparing infrastructure to accommodate around 1,500 housing units, which could be built over the next five to seven years.
The master-planned community will include single-family and multi-family homes. Property closest to U.S. Highway 2 & 52 is set aside for commercial uses such as retail and professional offices.
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Jill Schramm/MDN
Heavy equipment constructs a road through the Highlands Ranch development July 24.
"What's important to us is that we are providing every segment of housing that's available," said developer Gary Gorian, president of Colton Lee Communities, Westlake Village, Calif. "What we have learned over the last 24 years is it's really important that you have a mix of housing types."
Gorian said local people are getting priced out of the housing market as costs and market prices rise.
"We have seen this in other markets and it becomes a big problem," he said.
The goal of the Highlands Ranch project is to balance the housing mix and provide more affordable housing.
"The builder interest has already been overwhelming," Gorian said.
Gorian and his partner, Colton Behr, of Montana both have a background in construction and development. Behr has worked primarily with high-end housing in Montana. Gorian has worked in California with master-planned communities and affordable housing.
They said the property on top of Speedway hill is ideal for a master-planned community. The development design will make use of the scenic landscape that exists below the area planned for single-family housing. There will be parks and trails running through the scenic areas.
The City of Burlington has annexed the property.
The city also is adding the Davis Development, located in the area from the FEMA park on U.S. Highway 2 & 52 at Burlington to Pointe of View Winery, located southeast of Burlington above Speedway corner.
Developer Joel Feist of Minot said the development is named for Davis, an early coal-mining town that no longer exists in that area. He said dirtwork at the site is to begin within the month and home construction could start in the spring. Between 250 and 280 single-family or twinhomes are planned.
Home construction also could start next spring at Highlands Ranch. Gorian said the plan is to get as much work completed on infrastructure as possible before winter.