The preliminary plat work for the site across from Ravine Park is done now, and should the referendum for a new Community Center across from Ravine Park pass this November, the City of Cottage Grove, will be ready. The development comes as the result of a preliminary plat map vote at the August 4 regular meeting of the Common Council.

With a motion by Council member Justin Olsen that was seconded by Council member Dave Thiede, the preliminary plat for the Shoppes at Cottage View near the intersection of Highway 61 and Keats Avenue, was approved. Along with the consent agenda approval were a few answered questions from the Plan Commission as well.

First, city staff verified that the snowmobile trails on site require property owner approval to be included, with the current snowmobile trail location planned to be maintained until future development occurs. Second, and as stated during the Plan Commission meeting, the preliminary plat is a proactive measure on the City’s part, while it was also clarified that Jergen Avenue was not planned for extension as part of the future site development of site. Rather, access would be maintained across from the Ravine Regional Park access, the land directly across from Ravine Park currently being a sloped hill at present.

City staff also clarified that there continue to be plans for a trail connection at the site, while it was verified that the plat would be not be recorded “until such time grant funding was received,” it was made known in the Council packet. Meanwhile, the Ravine Landing project also came up.

“Thank you Mayor, Council members,” Johnson said after being introduced by Mayor Myron Bailey. “It’s good to see everybody. We had as you know a couple of weeks ago the ribbon cutting for Ravine Park, and I

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wanted to come in and recognize the partnership with the City,” he said. “All these things get done based on partnerships.”

With over 500 acres of hills and forested ravine, Ravine Park features non-motorized boat access to Ravine Park, while a rather nice building (to hear the good words said) also graces the site.

With a few other brief remarks, it was photo time, with Johnson and Mayor Bailey taking time out for a photo or two with a commemorative plaque for the Ravine Park event. From there, it was into the consent agenda, and a set of local business recognitions by Council member LaRae Mills.

“Thank you Mayor,” Council member Mills said. “ I just wanted to recognize some of those that had made donations recently to the City.

Among those that donated were Hy-Vee for the Fourth of July fireworks, along with Don and Margie Welch towards a bench. The Cottage Grove Lions Club and Steve and Cathy Dennis had donated towards safety camp, “and we also have a donation by Renewal by Andersen for general use,” she said. “We certainly appreciate all these donations that have been given to the city, and certain projects that have happened or will happen as a result. So thank you for that,” Mills said to the donating organizations.

Mayor Bailey thanked Council member Mills for her recognitions, and then it was into voting, which came back unanimous in favor of the consent agenda.

Following this, a motion was made by Council member Dennis and seconded by Mills to pay the bills, which passed quickly. Then it was into public hearings.

“We do have one public hearing this evening,” Mayor Bailey said of Hinton Woods. Presented by Senior City Planner Mike Mrosla, Hinton Woods is a development to come just south of 65th Street South at Hinton. The application had been made to vacate some existing utilities a the site.

“Which requires a public hearing,” Mrosla said. More to the point, the sanitary sewer at the site was being vacated and moved.

“The reason why the applicant is requesting to relocate (the sanitary sewer) is because they have to enlarge the pond as part of this development application.

“As I previously said, the applicant is working with the county to vacate the easement,” Mrosla said.

Also touched on by Mrosla was the final plat for Hinton Woods, after the Met Council approved a Comprehensive Plan Amendment for the site on July 20 of this year. The first phase of Hinton Woods, meanwhile, would be 61-single family units, with no homeowner’s association, or HOA. A secondary development with 117 townhomes would have an HOA, however.

Following Mrosla’s presentation, clarification was sought by Council member Justin Olsen regarding a prior access request from nearby city residents for 65th Street South. Did the current application conflict with that?

As it turned out, the answer was no, given that the issue under consideration affecting access was the stormwater pond that would be expanding. With no one speaking at the public hearing that followed, the Hinton Woods application for vacating of utilities was approved. Before the night was over, however, Council member Olsen had one more thing to say.

“All I want to say is thank you to the residents of Cottage Grove for an outstanding Night to Unite yesterday, which also included a noon event at the Senior Center. Boy it was fun,” he said. “Just really a positive experience. I guess I didn’t realize how much I missed it because we didn’t get to do it last year until I went out there last night.…The amount of engagement that I saw yesterday really did my heart good,” he said.

From there it was into two workshops, and the nearby City Hall training room.

Just off Walmart, a future road extension points towards the site of the future Community Center, if the Center is approved this November by referendum. Photo by Joseph Back.