Plan Commission - Regular Meeting

is being held both in person at Village Hall and virtually via Zoom. And the agenda link is at the top of the the Zoom link is at the top of the agenda. It is 6:30, so I'll call the meeting to order. We do have a quorum and the agenda was properly posted. So, we'll stand for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Right. So, this is the public appearances publicly public's opportunity to speak. We ask that you um please state your name, address, and limit your comments to no more than three minutes. Um, we'll start with individuals in the room and then move to individuals on Zoom. Is there anyone on No one in the room? Is there anyone on Zoom? All right. So, we'll move on to discuss and consider the minutes from the plan commission meeting of May 28th, 2025. Those agenda um those minutes are linked in the agenda. Having problems speaking tonight. Motion to approve as presented. Second. All right. There's a motion and a second. Any more discussion? All those in favor? I I opposed abstain. Motion carries. So we have um presentation by Tim Olsen and Steve Wener of the constant plan for a potential new subdivision to be accessed from VIS and Coffee Town Roads. I'll turn it over to Aaron first and then yeah, you guys can come up and sit though. Um yeah, so Tim and Steve are the owners of the property. Um they're ultimately looking to team up with the developer to u move forward with the project, but right now they're doing some of their preliminary work. Um and they'll talk more about this, but kind of based on the market analysis they're they're seeing they're looking for something a little denser than

what's currently allowed in the comp plan for this neighborhood. Um they're mostly here to kind of explain where they're at, what they're looking to do, and get a little bit of feedback on um whether we'd be interested in making some changes to the plan to to accommodate that. Um so if you just turn your little uh the microphone on, the little guy speaking in the front. Thanks. Hi there. I'm Tim. Okay, good. Um, so anyway, we started this quite a long time ago. Um, and we've gotten to the point now where we're in the master plan and we've gotten through CARP C and uh so we have sewer and water granted to the property and um uh what we've been doing is is monitoring the the network or the uh the market in general. And I think the two examples that you got there are are pretty good um showing of what we're seeing that that right now is currently selling, you know, to the the missing middle um where where people are getting their first home. And um you know, they're I mean, you know, prices have gotten out of control. The you know, the normal uh two-story, threebedroom, two-b home and right out of the box is almost $600,000. So, there's ways to make it a little bit more dense and the lot's not quite so big and people are buying it and they're buying it in a in a funny way because they're what's happening is the builders are actually selling the homes uh prior to building them. And uh you're seeing that at Autumn Lake and you're also seeing that at Red Tail Ridge. And uh that's something that we haven't seen for quite a long time um in new construction, but uh they're able to the way that they're configuring their

neighborhoods, they're able to get the price down around 400,000, you know, or below 500 for sure. And uh believe it or not, people are buying it. I mean, that's a lot of money for a starter home, if you want to call it that, but it's the market. Um, and so we're going to look or we're trying to look like those uh neighborhoods uh that are are catering to these people that are um you know young and you know just getting started in their housing. And that's that's it in kind of a nutshell. um there's uh uh a lot of demand and there's very little inventory and in the used housing market there's even less inventory. So, you know, it's it's the it's it's what's happening. people are starting to build and and the and the guys that are getting it right are building these planned unit developments which allows for a little bit more density and and it the main thing is to get that price down and that's where we're headed with it. Um this is this has been going on for 18 years for us or so since we got into the master plan. So it's uh it's finally gotten there. the the uh the the factors of Cottage Grove growing like it is and everything have all kind of pointed to it. And we just think it's time now where we can put something together that's going to give us a a housing uh blend that currently isn't available in Cottage Grove and uh it's a price point. So that's the direction

Tim talk to us about what you were envisioning in the multi family. Well, uh there's a mixture in there. Uh there's there's probably some apartment buildings in there. Um that's going to have to be uh discussed further. Um there'll be uh what they call twin homes, which is simply a duplex, but they're calling the zero lot line twin home now. And there's also four units like that, very similar. And there even is some eight units going in in some of the locations. Um and people are are are buying that. Um well, like I said, before it's even built, especially Red Tail Ridge. But I was talking to Radian just the other day too and they're they've got everything that they're putting up sold. But if you look at uh things like Autumn Lake, um the exteriors of the apartment buildings uh are very similar or match the exteriors of the four units and eight units. So cosmetically uh it has a real nice appearance and that's something that we would try uh to achieve and and a lot a large amount of underground parking on those buildings, not above ground parking. Yeah. So only surface parking for guests. Would you envision the eight units to be owner like targeted for ownership or would those Yes. Yeah. I think that's a great entry point to get people into home ownership market and start to build that equity. So, I think that would be very beneficial. Everybody uh except for the the apartment buildings. Yep. You mentioned 400,000. Is there a price per square foot that you're kind of

looking at? Because I was looking at some of the models that were out there and there was 2500 square foot, there was 1,800 square feet. Is there like a a square foot price that you're looking at or is it just kind of a general 400,000 is kind of where you're Well, for that for that amount of money, you're going to get the three bedrooms, two baths, and you're going to have a shared wall. Okay. Um, if you're if you're going to get up a little bit more towards 500,000, then you can have uh probably the three bedrooms, two baths again, and a two-car garage. And uh uh uh that would they call they're calling them cottages now in some of the different ones, but you know, that's just your single family home. But the lot size, you know, comes down around uh 5,000 square feet. Mhm. Um, and the people that are buying these, uh, they're not too interested in, they're coming up, they're coming out of apartment buildings. You see, no maintenance. They don't want the maintenance. They Yeah. And they're and they both work. Mhm. And so that's what they're buying and and they're they're not concern they're concerned with not being in an apartment anymore. So it's the millennials is what it is. Yep. Thank you. I don't mind. Now, um, all the Vidian stuff that's been like that, the cottage type or they had a different term for it way back when, but that stuff's all weathered to storm very well. And, um, it also looks really nice years later. Um, so I like that. Um, I don't mind. I know at Autumn Lake on Lean and Lean Road, they have I think those are four units that are they're all owner occupied. the at the very end of Lean Road where it hits Felon Road there on the left. Yeah. Um Yeah, those are twin homes. I think there's And there's some four units in there, too. Okay. Okay. Yeah, they're they're alley loaded. Yep. So, the the garage is in the back and you come in on

that alley, but then everything else is up above. Yeah. So, but they sold those as fast as they built them. Yeah. There's one for sale there right now. $390,000, but it's already got an offer on it. Okay. It's only been out there a couple of weeks. So, I guess I like that concept and the twin home concept. I'm not I've never been really fond of great big apartment buildings, but uh so I'd rather I'd rather see more of the four unit and twin homes to get people into that type of product. It's my opinion. Yep. Uh, and maybe it's a question for Aaron. Usually the answer is we're good. Um, but just things to consider. You're increasing the density. What stress does that put on utilities? Um, you know, including Allian Energy, you know, power water. I don't think we have a water tower down there anymore. We do have a very big pumping station. No, that's the list lift stations over there. Um, maybe you can walk us through utilities. what potential impact, but you just need to be aware of. Yeah. And it looks like Ty just turned his camera on, so I'll I'll let him field that one. Yeah, sure. Um, so so I mean, right now the utilities are are kind of stubbed out um kind of by Bachan Park um on Bus Road there. Um, as you mentioned, the large lift station is is right there on VIS. Um the water man uh it is in the ultimate master plan to have this area be served by both water and sewer. Um as far as you know u the water and sewer uh the cost of all that and that would all have to be kind of explored as the as the developer moves forward with this. But um it is kind of in the in the master plan that these areas would be served.

I guess along with that uh like it takes quite a bit of time to I would imagine to build out a development this size. Like what is your like timeline to like completion? Like how fast wouldn't we be accommodating this type of growth? Is it like a longer term development? Well, uh, uh, you know, some of that would probably happen right in within the developers agreement and and what where where you guys stood on how fast you want it done. But, uh, just gauging what I've been watching for the last few years with Autumn Lake and with, uh, Red Tail Ridge, it to do this project, it would probably be real close to 10 years because you can only even if you got really aggressive and built 50 a year, you're you're still looking at like eight and a half or nine years to do it. Um, so yeah, it's going to take a while. Yeah, the numbers look big, but across 10 years, like that's right. Yeah, you can only physically do it so fast. Thank you. You stole my question. JP, you have a question? I do. Um, do you have an idea about that parks conservation area in there? Um, because those are kind of two different ideas. I assume you probably have an idea of what you might consider for the park element versus the conservation side. Um well along that that ridge where all those pine trees are that we were we've been thinking about you know having walking paths for walking dogs and walking people and everything else. And then there's a bike path that goes just below that that circles around to the backside and goes around the retention pond that's at the end of the uh uh road at at Clark Street there that was just put in, you know, so you could get the water from putting in all the parking around the rugby fields and everything. And then that comes out right there and

then would go over and connect in the park to the to get to the glacier drum one. Um, and then the the other stuff that's just set aside for conservation is mainly like back by where the creek is, you know, giving giving the 200 feet or or or so of what it is because the creek runs on the back side, the north side of the property. Um, and and that's all set aside back there for for the things that uh the planned unit development. It allows for the uh smaller lot lot size so that you can bring them all into the current area that we're currently growing corn on and then not disturb all the rest of the land and just use it as a big feature, you know, because people are going to be looking out and they're going to have, you know, a big ridge with pine trees and they're going to have a whole bunch of uh green space. And then of course the the big park is across the street. Does anyone else have any other questions or comments? Tim actually at one point uh did some tours of the property back I think when you were trying to get it in the comp plan way back. Yeah, quite a few of those. good memory. Yeah, it's taken a while, but you know, now with the with the things that are going on that there's that that that missing middle housing is going to become more and more important and people are going to be wanting that and and we're trying to there has been people that contacted us, you know, that are uh there there's some of this going on and and I don't know, but you know, they're building all single family homes and then they're renting them all.

But we're we're trying to stay away from, you know, all of that. We want home ownership because I just think that's a better equation in the end, you know, for the people that live there. There's been a lot of developers, ring D's bell, that come through and I've got uppidity. I got spicy at him for saying we're building affordable housing at $600,000. Uh but I think you're the you're the first group refreshingly in the in many many years sitting on this board where you're like hey this is actually the problem and here's actually how we're going to solve it. So it sounds it's really good I think for Cottage Grove to have the way you're thinking through this. So it'll be interesting to see how how this continues to develop. The biggest issue is taxes and the cost of building. I think reducing the lot size helps for the individual for the tax base. So that's it's now it's going to be spread out. So from a village and a school perspective, it's still going to be covered, but of an individual, the burden will be less and I think you're solving part of the construction issue uh as well with the platforms that you're looking to build. So it's very refreshing to have you here today. Thanks. Good. That's what we're shooting for. All right. Any other comments, questions? Aaron, so like I brought up earlier on there would have to be a comp plan change to facilitate, you know, this kind of scheme that they're talking about right now for this area, you had a limit of a minimum of 65% of the units have to be single family. Um, what they're proposing is more than half in the various multif family categories. Um, so we can't take action on that, but kind of looking for feedback. Is that the kind of direction you want us to go? Do you want me to draft something up

that would kind of address the neighborhood? Is it multif family? Is it multif family if they own the the unit? Like if it's an eight unit, but they're individually owned, is that still it's it's the building type. It's the building. Okay. I mean, I just want to echo what Alex has said earlier in his comments that I think it's worthwhile to explain because of the reason why uh you all are going about this, which I also do appreciate. Um I think it's worthwhile to explore uh making that change to the comp plan. Maybe we could list out like the some of the types of like the twin home or the eight unit or four unit like if you have kind of a figure of about how many of each of those? I know it's probably so it's just further broken down between just multif family and would worry me about that since they're not partnered with a developer yet. They're talking to different people. Um different developers may have different ideas about that and we don't want to kind of plant ourselves into a corner that would have to change it again. Uh but the the the idea there is is to get the right kind of a a relationship all across the board between us, the developer, the builder and your and the village uh early on and get them in here early to talk and then get some feedback. Well, no, no, that's not what that's not the flavor we're looking for. and then okay, go to the next one, you know, or see if they're if they're going to be flexible because what developers are going to do is try to get everything they can get. That's

that's that. Yeah, we can provide some guidance in there if we don't want big hundred unit buildings or, you know, four-story buildings, we can say we don't want that. Yeah, I appreciate that getting us involved in early in the process before I invest a lot and before the ability to make a lot of changes. Right. It's, you know, we don't want to make a mess. All right. Erin, do you need any other direction? Sounds like the feedback is pretty positive here, so we can keep moving forward. Well, thank you. Thank you. Oh, yeah. Thanks. All right. Um, I guess moving on future agenda items. There was a list from the last meeting which I'm assuming some of those will come back their last meeting but um near the Commerce Park kind of behind Johnson Health Tech someone's looking to do a indoor sports facility. So they're going to come in with annexation zoning site plan conditional use permit at the next meeting is what they're shooting for. Um, haven't heard back from Toby's Auto yet if they're to confirm whether they want to be on that was what they had been shooting for, but I want to make sure um the the lady that was here looking to add units to her two-unit building. Um, we put her in touch with the fire department and I haven't heard since then. I think possibly the code requirements are a little strict. Yeah. But they may still come back. Okay. Otherwise, we'll move on to number

eight. Motion to adjurnn. Second. There's a motion and a second. Non-debatable. All those in favor? I I computer. 30 seconds. My nephy's going