North Blaine Keeps Asking for Bigger Homes. The Twin Homes Are What Got Cut.

One of the largest pieces of open land in north Blaine has now had four plans in about 16 months. Each new version has dropped some attached housing, and the version now before the City Council has none. It calls for 106 detached homes on 70- and 80-foot lots at 3700 and 3900 125th Avenue NE. It only works if the city agrees to treat land it had planned for jobs and commerce as land for houses.

If you're shopping new construction north of 125th, this sets what will actually be for sale. Over the past year the council has made one choice again and again. It wants new homes there to be larger and distinctive, which leaves less room for the twin homes Pulte had pitched to buyers who want to downsize.

One parcel, four plans

The plan history comes from the city's September 8, 2026 Planning Commission staff report and from ABC Newspapers' coverage of the April vote.

Look at what each round removed. The townhomes went first. The twin homes made it into the October concept, and city staff described them as aimed at buyers looking to downsize. They were gone after April. The staff report says "the attached housing remained a concern for the City Council" and didn't fully match the vision the council had already set for the area.

Council members explained that vision at the April meeting, as ABC Newspapers reported. Council Member Chris Massoglia talked about "expanding the Lakes and blending into some larger, more unique homes as you move north past 125th." Council Member Leslie Larson pointed out that two big parcels had come up side by side, roughly 136 acres in all, and said she hoped for "something unique like the Lakes that is really well thought out."

"Larger homes" here still means lots around a quarter acre

The city's own density rules keep lots in this area from getting big. Wellington has to meet a minimum of 2.5 units per acre, according to the July 31, 2026 application letter from Pulte and Jonathan Homes. The letter also lists the site's limits: wetlands, a high water table, and plant species protected by the DNR. Put a minimum density on a site with that many wet and protected areas, and the buildable part has to be platted fairly tightly. Eleven outlots hold the ponds and wetlands. The 106 home lots run from 9,100 to 12,687 square feet. An acre is 43,560 square feet, so a quarter acre is 10,890. Most of these lots will land close to that.

Montane Meadows, farther north at 3621 131st Ave. NE, has the same shape. ABC Newspapers' story spells the name "Montean." ABC Newspapers reported that the council approved it 4-3 on June 15: 86 single-family lots, 70 feet wide, at 2.73 units per acre, with lots from 8,750 to 13,045 square feet. Two separate developers have ended up with the same product. North Blaine's new subdivisions are coming in as 70-foot-wide, roughly quarter-acre detached lots.

The city gets its "distinctive" homes through the building standards. The Wellington staff report calls for premium materials, architectural accents on every front elevation, and LP Smart siding on all sides of every home. Jonathan Homes, an Andover custom builder, would take the 28 80-foot lots. Its application letter says it has built and closed more than 100 homes in Blaine, in neighborhoods including The Lakes of Radisson and Wagamon Ranch, and that it builds features such as sports courts and four-car garages. None of the filings we reviewed list expected prices or home sizes.

Some city charges are tied to each lot. Park dedication for Wellington is $5,800 per unit at the 2026 rate, or $614,800 for the subdivision if paid in 2026. It's due before the plat is recorded with Anoka County. The developer pays this fee to the city. How a builder passes costs like this into home prices is the builder's business decision, and the city filings don't address it.

The two votes for the twin homes made a cost argument

The two council members who voted for the April plan argued that the city's vision runs into construction costs. ABC Newspapers quoted Council Member Tom Newland:

"The interest in trying to mirror what was done on the Lakes 20 years ago isn't reality anymore. The cost of prepping the land, the cost of doing infrastructure, has probably doubled in that time."

Newland also said demand for homes such as twin homes keeps growing. Council Member Chris Ford said buyers who want larger homes "get larger lots, they move out into the country so they can custom-build their home." He added that Blaine needs the tax base that denser housing brings.

North Blaine's new lots are large for a suburb. They're nowhere near rural acreage. And the attached homes that might have filled a different need were removed from the plan.

Losing the twin homes also put commercial land in play

Removing the twin homes also changed what Pulte has to ask the city for. The April plan wanted the site's guidance changed from a mix of planned industrial/commercial and low-density residential to low- to medium-density residential, allowing 2.5 to 12 units per acre. The current request is to redesignate land guided for Planned Industrial and Planned Commercial use as Low Density Residential, with rezoning from Farm Residential to Development Flex. MinneapoliMedia's September 9 report called that amendment one of the most consequential parts of the application. Land guided for industry and commerce is usually set aside for jobs and commercial tax base.

City staff recommended approving the amendment, the rezoning and the preliminary plat. The conditions include the park dedication fee, a development agreement and tree replacement. Pulte proposes planting 275 trees, more than the replacement requirement. The report's analysis puts that requirement at 242 trees, while its formal plat condition says 243. The plan also keeps 9.54 acres of trees on the site. The Planning Commission held its public hearing September 8. It only advises, and the City Council makes the final decision. The staff report listed October 5 and October 19, 2026 for council consideration. The October 5 meeting has passed, but we couldn't find a record of what the council did on Wellington that night. As of October 12, we can't confirm a final decision either way. Meeting packets are posted on the City of Blaine agendas page.

Montane Meadows shows how close these votes can be. The council approved it 4-3 and, by the same split, cut the developer's window for infrastructure reimbursement from 12 years to five. Under that agreement, the developer can be repaid for trunk sanitary sewer and lift station work if other benefiting properties develop within five years. If none do, the reimbursement expires. Deals like this affect how quickly the farm-residential land next door gets developed.

Fall 2026 shoppers face a tight resale market

New construction is one of two places Blaine buyers can look. The other is resale, and it was tight in August 2026. The Minneapolis Area REALTORS local market update for Blaine for August 2026, current as of September 8, reported:

• Median sale price of $400,000, up 2.3% from August 2025
• Inventory of 161 homes, down 13.0%, or 2.2 months of supply
• 89 closed sales, down 16.0%
• 41 median days on market, up 13.9%
• Sellers received 98.8% of original list price, down 0.7 percentage point

Supply was tighter, yet homes sat longer and sold a little further below their original asking price. When resale is that thin, the kind of homes being added through new construction matters more. If you want a newer attached home with less upkeep, Wellington as proposed won't provide one. If you want a custom home, its 28 80-foot lots are the ones Jonathan Homes would build on. Buyers who want true acreage are looking at a different product altogether, the kind found in Ham Lake, which borders Montane Meadows to the north.

FAQ

Is Wellington approved? We can't confirm either way as of October 12, 2026. Staff recommended approval, and the council had it on its schedule for October 5 and October 19.

Who would build the homes? Pulte would build on the 78 70-foot lots. Jonathan Homes would build custom homes on the 28 80-foot lots.

Can Blaine block attached housing everywhere? No. ABC Newspapers reported Council Member Terra Fleming saying the city can't always stop certain housing types. Here it had a choice, because the developer needed a comprehensive plan amendment.

If you're weighing a new 70-foot lot north of 125th against a resale home elsewhere in Blaine, Epic Realty Inc can compare current sales from both for you. If you're thinking about selling your Blaine home to make that move, start with a free home valuation.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.