Laserfiche WebLink
Preliminary Planned Residential Development <br />Planning Commission Report; 5-21-19 <br /> <br /> <br />Page 26 <br />(cont.) <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />C. Staff read through each of the complaints and there was nothing unexpected <br />or alarming: complaints about how much rent is still owed, complaints <br />about not getting a deposit check back soon enough, anger over a renter’s <br />application being denied, complaints related more to communication <br />between the parties rather than items of note. Nothing out of the ordinary <br />and typical of any large property management company. Other than <br />someone in a southern state complaining that the corporate office was <br />located in MN, none of the complaints appeared to come from units actually <br />in MN. <br />D. And finally, per the BBB’s website regarding their own ratings, they note <br />that “BBB ratings are not a guarantee of a business’s reliability or <br />performance. BBB recommends that consumers consider a business’s BBB <br />rating in addition to all other available information about the business.” <br />Given the reasons listed above and given the City’s past (very positive) <br />experience with this developer, staff has no concerns about Dominium’s <br />commitment to excellence on this project or their ability to perform. <br />6. Specific to Pulte of Minnesota which has a “C” rating on the BBB website, we’d <br />note the following: <br />A. While the posting comes up as Pulte Homes of Minnesota, LLC, the rating <br />and complaints shown on the BBB website are noted as being the “HQ <br />Business Profile” and the “HQ Business Complaints.” Accordingly, the <br />rating is for the national company as a whole and not the specific entity <br />doing work in the metro which the City has had great success with in the <br />past. <br />B. Like Dominium, Pulte does a ton of work nationally under a number of <br />Brand Names (Centex, DelWebb, DiVosta, etc). In 2017, the company <br />closed on over 21,000 new homes, but that number fluctuates every year <br />based on the economy. Taking a very conservative estimate of 15K homes <br />per year nationally, 242 complaints from approximately 45,000 homes <br />throughout the nation is a fantastic track record (0.52% complaint rate). <br />C. Unlike other builders, Pulte has adopted an in-house “bible” for their <br />building standards above and beyond the building code. Employees are <br />incentivized via bonuses for acquiring materials that exceed minimum <br />standards, meeting all building deadlines, and delivering a complete home <br />with no follow ups needed. Pulte also employs a consulting firm to conduct <br />surprise inspections of on-going developments as a quality assurance <br />component. <br />