Cottage Grove, Minnesota – On April 13, 2023, the City of Cottage Grove received a notice that Holcim MWR, Inc., formerly known as Aggregate Industries, had decided to withdraw its Petition for Annexation (filed with the city on March 16, 2023) effective immediately. Tom Schmit, Holcim’s general manager, said in the April 13 statement, “As a company, we have made the decision to further evaluate our options.”

We cannot speculate on their motives for withdrawal just like we could not speculate on their intensions for requesting annexation other than what they stated in their petition. Because the petition has been noticed as a public hearing, it will appear on the City Council meeting agenda for April 19, but it will be struck as Withdrawn so no public hearing will be held and there will be no discussion on the matter by the Cottage Grove City Council.

The City of Cottage Grove is obligated to respond to an annexation petition, and we followed the requirements of state law to schedule it for a public hearing. The City Council has taken no action and made no decisions on the petition up to this point but were intending to consider the matter through public hearing process, as required. Due to the withdrawal of the petition, we consider the matter closed.

Holcim is a longstanding member of the local community that supplies construction materials and services on projects throughout Cottage Grove and the greater Twin Cities metropolitan area.