The Cottage Grove City Council met Wednesday, Sept. 16 in the St. Croix Room at City Hall, approving the next steps for a 23-lot residential development, awarding a contract to dismantle the city’s first temporary water treatment plant and authorizing the fire department to participate in a new statewide emergency-response program.
One of the council’s largest development actions involved Geneva Meadows Second Edition, a residential subdivision planned at 8591 Geneva Avenue South.
Senior Planner Max Erickson said the council previously approved rezoning the property from rural residential to single-family residential along with the preliminary plat in June. The final plat calls for 23 residential lots and six outlots. Sewer and water service will be provided by St. Paul Park under agreements between the communities. The project also requires payments for tree mitigation and park dedication.
The project includes changes involving the existing private Geneva Avenue South access road as well as drainage and utility easements. Erickson said a portion of the private road will be removed so access to the new development comes from a public roadway.
Another issue involves property crossed by the Marathon pipeline easement. Because the land is unbuildable and Lennar does not plan to establish a homeowners association to maintain it, portions are expected to be deeded to interested neighboring property owners. An area where a neighboring owner was not interested in acquiring additional land will instead become an extension of one of the new Geneva Meadows lots.
There was no public comment during the public hearing on the development.
The council subsequently approved Resolution 2026-132 vacating drainage and utility easements and Resolution 2026-133 approving the final plat. It also approved a development agreement with U.S. Home LLC, doing business as Lennar, and Resolution 2026-134 approving development plans prepared by Pioneer Engineering, subject to final written approval by the city engineer.
The council also took what Cottage Grove Public Works Director Ryan Burfeind described as a milestone in Cottage Grove’s response to its water contamination problems.
Council members awarded a $194,494 contract to Boulder Creek Incorporated to decommission the Well 10 interim water treatment plant. Boulder Creek was one of three bidders on the project.
Burfeind said the temporary facility was constructed following the city’s 2017 water emergency and was Cottage Grove’s first temporary water treatment plant.
“It is an exciting night because it was nine years ago when we had our emergency declaration and built our first temporary water treatment plant down at Well 10,” Burfeind told the council.
The facility helped the city lift a watering ban after it became operational. Cottage Grove has since continued using temporary treatment facilities while moving ahead with construction of its larger permanent water treatment system.
Burfeind said the Well 10 decommissioning project is fully funded by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency through the 3M settlement process and an associated grant agreement. Three bids were received.
The treatment equipment inside the building is rented and will be removed separately. The contract awarded by the council primarily concerns removal of the building itself, with Burfeind noting that the relatively new structure may have salvage value.
Also Wednesday, the council authorized the Cottage Grove Fire Department to participate in the Minnesota State Fire Marshal Engine Strike Team Pilot Program.
Cottage Grove Fire Chief John Pritchard said the program was developed to provide additional statewide resources for large and complex emergencies, including wildfires, major fires and civil unrest.
According to Pritchard, Cottage Grove is one of four metro-area departments invited to participate as part of a group of 14 departments statewide. He said Cottage Grove’s previous experience responding to major incidents contributed to the opportunity, pointing to the department’s assistance during civil unrest in St. Paul, Washington County’s COVID-19 response and a large recycling plant fire in Becker.
Participation could also provide specialized training, equipment opportunities and additional experience for firefighters.
Pritchard said Cottage Grove would retain the ability to turn down deployments when staffing or other circumstances make participation impractical.
“One of the nice pieces with this, we can turn down a deployment if we're not in a good spot,” Pritchard said.
The department plans to limit the effect on daily staffing by generally deploying no more than one firefighter from a shift along with a chief officer and using reserve apparatus when possible. Pritchard emphasized that the arrangement would not leave the city without adequate local fire protection.
Deployments would also be reimbursed. Pritchard said reimbursement could cover personnel, travel and equipment expenses. He estimated that a five-day deployment of a Type 1 fire engine could generate more than $37,000 in billable costs, with approximately $19,000 in expenses and potentially more than $18,000 remaining in net revenue for the city, depending on staffing and overtime costs.
Council Member Justin Olsen questioned how departments were selected for the pilot and asked Pritchard to learn more about the State Fire Marshal’s selection criteria. Olsen also raised the possibility of firefighter burnout if deployments became frequent.
Pritchard said he expects Cottage Grove would participate in approximately one or two deployments per year based on previous incidents and discussions with state officials.
Following the discussion, the council unanimously authorized participation in the pilot program. Pritchard said the opportunity could also become part of the department’s firefighter recruitment efforts.
The council also approved its consent agenda and city bills and concluded the meeting with announcements about upcoming community events.
No council workshops were scheduled following the regular meeting.