Meeting with four of its seven members present to form a quorum and the three absent members excused, the Cottage Grove Planning Commission got down to business this past June 28 to approve a housing variance and preliminary plat, among other agenda items.

No longer doing virtual meeting, the Cottage Grove Planning Commission was over in just under 38 minutes. Whether from the name and address requirement or other reason at the televised hearing, the public forum aspect was somewhat lacking on June 28. But that didn’t mean there was nothing to get done. Senior Planner Emily Schmitz had a variance to present to the Commission.

Schmitz presented a variance on River Acres Road in the Hartford district, a low-density area. With a house and detached garage on the riverfront parcel in question, Schmitz shared information on the history.

“The house did burn down in 1983,” she said. “When it was reconstructed in 1984, it was required to be built at the 700-foot elevation, which was the standard then and is now.”

The variance before the Council was for a 16-foot addition off the east end of the riverfront property.

“Now, the existing house and structure are and will remain at 65 feet setback from the ordinary high-water level,” Schmitz said. “Per our current MERCA standards, a 100-foot setback is required for additions to existing structures,” with the City’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan requiring adoption of the 100-foot setback as set by the DNR.

“So we are in the process of adopting that ordinance,” she said. The ordinance hadn’t been adopted yet and allowed “But given that we haven’t officially adopted that ordinance yet we wanted to make this official with a variance request. With nothing further to add, Commissioner Khambata turned it over to the Commission for thoughts.

“It’s pretty straightforward,” Commissioner Derek Rasmussen gave as to his thoughts on the matter. “There’s no issues that I can identify,” he said. With Khambata confirming from Schmitz that the principal structure was built at exactly 700-feet, a brief public hearing ensued, then closing.

“Seeing none, I will close the public hearing,” Khambata said of public comment. “There’s no one online or trying to pop in?”

There wasn’t.

“Mr. Chair, we are no longer doing virtual meetings so no, there are not,” Rasmussen said. With a motion from Commissioner Jessica Fischer and second by Commissioner Sarah Bigham, the motion passed and it was on to item 6.2, Rolling Meadows. Far from the River, Rolling Meadows touched on the boundary with Woodbury and was presented by Senior Planner Mike Mrosla.

“This item tonight is submitted by Willmar Inc,” Mrosla shared of the preliminary plat with 41-residential lots seeking a zone change from AG-1 (Agricultural Reserve) to R-1, Single Family Development.

“The subject property is just south of the Woodbury border, and is 17.6 acres,” Mrosla told the Commission, adding that this was “currently tilled field,” with no trees on the property, surrounded on three sides by the South Washington Watershed District, or SWWD. Saying that the zone change was consistent with zoning to the west and the City’s Comprehensive Plan, Mrosla went on.

“Right now the applicant is working with two or three home builders,” Mrosla said, with the approximate price per home estimated at $700,000. There would be no HOA (homeowner’s association) for the site, meaning that a road island on the preliminary plat would be removed, as there would be no one to maintain it. The neighborhood would connect to regional trails, with temporary construction paths to grade the Rolling Meadows site.

Mrosla said that a neighborhood meeting was held on June 18 qwith four residents in attendance, but no concerns raised, and that a public notice published June 16 in the Pioneer Press had received no comments.

After hearing more details including 41 boulevard trees and stormwater ponding to the west and south, the Planning Commission raised questions.

“A and B will be maintained by the City, is that correct?” Rasmussen asked Mrosla of stormwater retention, being answered in the affirmative. Then it was Khambata’s turn.

“Can you elaborate on the area of Outlot A that is designated infiltration?” he asked, being answered by Corey Meyer with Westwood Professional Services.

“The infiltration is to reduce our overall volume of stormwater…” Meyer said, with the stormwater backing up “and allowed to percolate back into the soil.” After Khambata was Commission member Fisher.

“You said a handful of the lots are under the 1`0,000 square foot requirement,” Fisher asked. “How many is a handful?”

“I believe there are only two or three that are under that threshold,” Mrosla said, the other 38 or 39 meeting the threshold.

Following a public hearing at which nobody spoke and more questions from the Planning Commission, the preliminary plat was approved unanimously.

Background

Now in the planning stages, Rolling Meadows would have 41-single family homes estimated at $700,000 a piece, bordering Woodbury to the north.