Joseph Back

Coming off a year that saw 574 units of new housing in the City, the new year appears to be up for still more, as the City of Cottage Grove undergoes a sustainable growth period in its housing market, as defined in construction and real estate terms.

As such, included on the agenda for February were five separate development items, including a second plat for Settler’s Bluff off Hadley Avenue South, along with a decision not to require that an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) be completed for the Mississippi Landings development just south and off the river. In addition, two subdivisions off the old Military Road— the latter built in the 19th century and now ending in a cul-de-sac, having served its purpose—are also included, one for the 3rd addition to Woodward Ponds and the other for McHattie’s Landing, located on the south side of Military Road on the Woodbury border.

As to the third addition of Woodward Ponds, it will be located on the north side of the old Military Road, includes within it 5.44 acres and 44 residential townhome lots, with the vacation (makby ing void) of a public drainage and utility easement on the property.

Property easements generally allow for the passage of public utilities or other infrastructure, including roads in some circumstances.

No public comment was received on the Woodward Ponds – 3rd Addition application, while comment was received and incorporated from city departments, the city of Woodbury, and ISD 833 regarding the development. Now rezoned as R-5 Medium Residential from Ag-1 Agricultural Preservation, Woodward Ponds is moving forward, with a final planned outlay of 164 attached townhome units once completed.

Finally, a fourth development to be called McHattie’s Landing located just shy of the Woodbury border on Military Road, would include 80 single family homes zoned as R-4 with with four outlots and a Planned Use Development or PUD, which will allow for some flexibility in such things as lot frontage boundaries.

Following the planned removal of Military Road, the site access to McHattie’s Landing will be from Ravine Parkway.

Perhaps the most momentous development, however, relates to a redevelopment workshop for Cedarhurst, listed as agenda item 13 out of 13 total. So just what was on tap for the Cedarhurst redevelopment workshop February 2? “The purpose of this workshop is to have an open discussion and dialogue with the City’s historic consultants,” the meeting agenda notes from senior city planner Emily Schmitz make known. “Our consultants will provide an overview of what it means to be a nationally nominated historic site, the historic tax credit process, the process for gaining insight into the most important historic components of the Cedarhurst site, and which agencies are involved in the review of historic nominated properties and more specifically, the City’s role in that process.”

Past communications from the city and a July 3 Open House indicate the possible moving of multistory buildings closer to Keats Avenue, while the mansion itself would anchor any redevelopment plans. Stay tuned as this historic redevelopment project continues off Keats Avenue at 70th Street, in Cottage Grove.

Woodward Ponds 3rd Addition from Exibit A in the Coucil packet.

Going in on Hadley Avenue South with streets so new that not even Google yet knows they exist, the second addition to Settler’s Bluff was approved at the January 19 meeting in the consent agenda, extending to the northwest along with the west most cul-de-sac in the platting above. Image taken from January 19 Council packet.