[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6152895,"mediaKeyId","5496370-00fc98cd0842da9ee2b0993973b95bb0","parentId",5496370,"title","Planning panel backs rezoning and restoration plan for Cedarhurst Mansion; applicant proposes event venue and atrium addition","audioSeconds",3719,"startMs",3723000,"endMs",7442000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5496370-00fc98cd0842da9ee2b0993973b95bb0&start=3723&end=7442","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5496370-00fc98cd0842da9ee2b0993973b95bb0/thumbnail_3723000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6152895/Cottage-Grove/Washington-County/Minnesota/Planning-panel-backs-rezoning-and-restoration-plan-for-Cedarhurst-Mansion-applicant-proposes-event-venue-and-atrium-addition","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6152895-5015ba809191ff4879edd87f8d3c53f1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164010&Signature=IHF4S726YchHhvzmq7rnLJhNXX3p5YIHYU-AbeK4ALTnky9S9yaGYPTWp7pJuqn5SS2Pmczq7PO9qB8IjMBBvXWB26McoyxzICeN7CACl3sWQu~Trgn7Fc2WzsPrG2lDbqosK49CxW-nJE6IruOoD1mGCIfkXszIYhDXqBGmbIih6NmuXS-NLpLvoUMo~fKbZ5Ui79Ng~wZbfFLVyaA5DPwrpB~8ROX0z9duA50Kidr5RafrzG-fAnMu0Z5Uc37mQHsk-oBZx4skEpG9VlXcaEyPw7W77t0QIyC6FDPvEJjsW-B0wUy45e-ECe1NvpjneHWc3XHydPQsNe3BOmrdqg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Cottage Grove, MN","date","2025-07-29T14:18:28Z","article","The Cottage Grove Planning Commission voted 5-0 on July 28 to recommend City Council approval of zoning amendments, historic conditional-use permits (HCUP) and a site plan allowing restoration and reuse of the Cedarhurst Mansion at 70 Eighth Street as an events venue. The applicant, Bella Gala, proposes an addition described as an atrium, utility connections to city sewer and water, restored gardens and a mix of paved and reinforced-grass parking.

Staff planner Emily (last name not provided) told the commission the project seeks to align the mansion parcel with the city's 2040 comprehensive-plan guidance (mixed use) and to rezone the adjacent gardener's cottage parcel to R-3 (single-family residential) while placing both parcels on the local historic register and authorizing joint use under an HCUP.

The applicant's representative, JJ Malitzky of Bella Gala, described plans to rehabilitate interior and exterior features, preserve the rose garden and great lawn, install an atrium addition of roughly 4,000 square feet to host receptions, bring the building up to accessibility and fire-safety standards, and phase other site improvements. Malitzky said Bella Gala would keep most parking as turf-reinforced green surface with about two dozen paved spaces and provide overflow, valet and shuttle options when events require them.

Staff said the project will connect to existing city water and sewer in 60 Ninth Street, abandon the on-site septic and cap the well, and place an easement over the private utility alignment because the service runs across the gardener's-cottage parcel. Assistant City Engineer Crystal Raleigh told the commission the stormwater pond proposed east of the new parking will manage all additional impervious area added by the parking, driveway widening and the atrium roof, and that infiltration is not permitted because the site is within a wellhead-protection area.

Staff noted standards for historic work were developed with a consultant (New History) and that the applicant has applied to the State Historic Preservation Office for state historic tax credits. The Advisory Commission on Historic Preservation recommended the proposal 5-0 at its June meeting, and the applicant reported a July 15 neighborhood meeting attended by about 30'40 residents; staff said attendees generally left supportive.

The commission and staff discussed vehicle access on Seventieth Street, noting Seventieth and Keats Avenue are county roads and that alignment of the mansion driveway with Jorgensen Avenue was coordinated with the county to improve traffic flow. City staff said the county has authority over changes to county road access but will continue to work with the city if future traffic or safety concerns arise. Commissioners asked that staff retain flexibility to evaluate additional access or turn-lane changes later if warranted.

Conditions in the staff report require a 20-foot emergency-drive width through parts of the site, preservation of mature trees where feasible, a stormwater management plan consistent with city standards, and limitations on outdoor amplified music and hours of operation. Staff summarized the proposed hours as ending at 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and at midnight on weekend nights; amplified outdoor music would not continue past those hours. The commission added no additional restrictions but asked staff to carry detailed conditions forward to Council.

Commissioners praised the preservation focus and the applicant's restoration plans. After discussion, the commission voted to recommend approval of the rezoning, the HCUPs and the site plan review, subject to the conditions in the staff report. The vote was recorded as 5-0 in favor.

If City Council follows the commission's recommendation, the project will proceed to final engineering and building permits and to the state historic-tax-credit review process described by the applicant. The applicant indicated a construction timeline that could start late in 2025 with phased interior and exterior work through 2026.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","CGPlanning7-28-25","oneSentenceSummary","The Cottage Grove Planning Commission voted 5-0 on July 28 to recommend City Council approval of zoning amendments, historic conditional-use permits and a site plan enabling Bella Gala to restore Cedarhurst Mansion and operate it as a wedding and event venue with a roughly 4,000-square-foot atrium addition.","taxTitle","Cottage Grove, Washington County, Minnesota","taxId",52786,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6152881,"Commission backs Elmar Village parking variance with condition to study trail safety and buffering",1527,2195000,3722000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5496370-00fc98cd0842da9ee2b0993973b95bb0&start=2195&end=3722","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5496370-00fc98cd0842da9ee2b0993973b95bb0/thumbnail_2195000.jpg","/articles/6152881/Cottage-Grove/Washington-County/Minnesota/Commission-backs-Elmar-Village-parking-variance-with-condition-to-study-trail-safety-and-buffering","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6152881-9d21535005a3bb6acb1774b1df6925ae/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164010&Signature=SitnayENJsNsi5BZvXfv6hlcZFb5IX2FaemnRRyuvPMzVmK7F2DbWSzNa7YG7VyG-3Yf1--Hye9rUoDZZKElhGN3MT-SRXXv1CslI7G2M5jHIM7zs2AzS03rgDhFI1kBCR~zD4PXMPhXRiM2WsJgBWOP~E4Itli0r-ocMjJs4VeBO2unqmjoT9goz4q9-2smubBGOXo8qValwrtZRSEViJ25~8Vujtgz~2eBVOohAm26P2CyzmYwA~qclD6bz4TuVownaBwGIv9VFuhfCldvOyFQPZ3UubkwgcVyZSUCnAe0ubPvuh3XaLnjAHAToT8Hml1MbEjatkMu-zp40icxnQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Planning Commission on July 28 recommended City Council approval of variances allowing additional parking at the Elmar Village commercial site (Elmar Village LLC) and an increase in impervious coverage on the applicant's 2.42-acre parcel. The motion included an explicit request that staff review the walking-trail placement and safety where the new stalls would abut the trail; the commission vote was 5-0.

Sam (city planner) summarized the request: the applicant proposes reconfiguring and adding parking spaces that would be located approximately 2 feet from the east property line along Keats Avenue in a planned unit development that contains five parcels. The applicant's parcel currently holds roughly 155 parking spaces across the development; ordinance-calculated demand for the proposed uses is 184 spaces. The applicant proposes to add 19 spaces (an increase of about 3.4% impervious cover on the owner's parcel) to help meet shared-parking demand for two restaurants and other tenants. Staff said a 2016 variance that approved those stalls had an expiry and the current request seeks permanent authorization.

Staff told commissioners the existing stormwater pond west of Jorgensen Lane was designed to accommodate up to 6.3 acres of impervious cover and that adding the 19 spaces would bring the development to that 6.3-acre figure so no additional mitigation would be required under the current pond design. Commissioners asked about proximity of the new stalls to a walking trail in the right of way; staff estimated the trail would be roughly four to five feet from the property line at its closest point but said that was only an estimate and that curbing and standard parking-lot construction would be required.

Commissioners raised safety and aesthetic options for protecting the trail, including low fencing, bollards or planting buffers. One commissioner asked staff to study trail placement and recommend safety measures to present to City Council; the motion adopted by the commission included that staff-review request. The commission recorded a 5-0 vote in favor and will forward the application and the staff review request to City Council.","Planning Commission recommended approval of a variance to add parking spaces at Elmar Village (Omar Village) with conditions to study trail proximity and safety, requiring staff and applicant to explore protective options for the adjacent walking trail.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6152886,"Commission recommends approval for 61 Marine expansion, requires matching materials and lighting controls",388,1808000,2196000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5496370-00fc98cd0842da9ee2b0993973b95bb0&start=1808&end=2196","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5496370-00fc98cd0842da9ee2b0993973b95bb0/thumbnail_1808000.jpg","/articles/6152886/Cottage-Grove/Washington-County/Minnesota/Commission-recommends-approval-for-61-Marine-expansion-requires-matching-materials-and-lighting-controls","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6152886-d1ead32132142020c9a3d24021ce5583/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164010&Signature=QdGylfGkEN2D0bls0EtCaC9GjR1wQwnCen1PVDbC8z4-Xi42tDGlvt7Y1tXW7jp1U7mY~lwKMLO6i0yZWHOYYeZQKXpY11PbVfM7xKp0RFDxbHRaxLq3sBccaazo1hk1ypIrNp79RD1lfWiXYFujpvngOxhl2HPHQn28hOzdlvd4yo4kUf0FaBy3nCXQO~z1RnmS6viuhHeb53cV801H3iNU7ro8hU2gqGhC5LyviU53g6vU4uAg670BLwj7hFqBJeKhifME00NREeS0zhsqI3jYQQvhb1w1bhTUCioLMQcQLv7HIwFGBR6bEdpQqEgC0y8eadfJXXqlM6049ydXSA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Planning Commission on July 28 recommended City Council approval of a site-plan review and conditional-use permit for 61 Marine and Sports, allowing a 50-by-80-foot building addition for boat detailing and formalizing the property's recreational-vehicle and boat sales use as conditional in the B-3 General Business District. The commission vote was 5-0.

Sam (city planner) said the property at 11730 Point Douglas Drive sits on about 12 acres and has a long history of nonconforming recreational-vehicle and boat uses dating to 1984. Prior approvals were rescinded in 2015 and a new conditional-use permit and site plan were issued then; subsequent expansions were handled by amended permits. The 2022 rezoning to B-3 left RV/boat uses as conditional, and staff said the owner seeks a CUP now to regularize the use rather than expand an outstanding nonconformity.

The proposed addition will be used for boat detailing and cleaning on the east side of the existing building; staff said building façades that face Highway 61 must match the existing building materials. No new impervious surface is proposed for the addition because it will be built over an existing parking area; three on-site stormwater basins were previously sized to handle the existing impervious coverage. The 2019 CUP required a 10-foot side-yard setback and vegetative screening along the east property line; staff said the applicant proposes 11 coniferous trees in the southeast corner and that a condition requires replacement screening if the existing berm and vegetation are removed when an adjacent parcel redevelops.

The commission asked about a letter from a nearby resident (Teresa Williams) regarding lighting; staff confirmed a condition in the report requires all outdoor lighting to be downward-directed to city standards and noted staff can require a photometric plan to demonstrate lighting levels at property lines. Commissioners expressed general support for the business and its continued operation and voted to recommend approval subject to the report conditions.

The recommendation and conditions will be forwarded to City Council for formal registration and any additional permits required before construction begins.","Planning Commission voted 5-0 to recommend approval of a site-plan review and conditional use permit for 61 Marine and Sports to add a 50-by-80-foot building for boat detailing and to regularize an existing recreational-vehicle sales/service use at 11730 Point Douglas Drive, with conditions on materials, screening and downward-directed lighting.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6152891,"Planning commission approves Grove Tobacco's conditional use permit for low-potency hemp edibles",659,1132000,1791000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5496370-00fc98cd0842da9ee2b0993973b95bb0&start=1132&end=1791","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5496370-00fc98cd0842da9ee2b0993973b95bb0/thumbnail_1132000.jpg","/articles/6152891/Cottage-Grove/Washington-County/Minnesota/Planning-commission-approves-Grove-Tobaccos-conditional-use-permit-for-low-potency-hemp-edibles","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6152891-103988bfeaf9f3afbebdfdda724cc8fc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164010&Signature=K4sEcvzOfbpLL4uKj8vgjQaHG~yyomYJEDbHby3h1kWkgcmuBllbrXSb0U6JbHD-ZZYA6KgLSkSjdH7rFs5JtxHZ38jGRrzCqpySqFcpumfSQk9WwsXr1sNGu9XzxoYuP7AQTwtDlWWf7PBRxFxRmSRaM2Hi2vt19Hilrt4mR3TfHtUzFqqwAiGviV~4GOECzXTdhYY-Umke5~xuigXqlCcyYMxcVJ~JMvJ-V2X~FN4yTzlqXGt78-liUfhYncEnXeizz9oie5NybDVks0QD2tNLdSfzk03dpy71Yekkcag6nNjayaHft7x31rijLtc8futyfy5-4kAeMwTNNM0oLg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Planning Commission on July 28 voted 5-0 to approve a conditional-use permit allowing Grove Tobacco to sell low-potency hemp edibles from Suite 200 at 8599 West Point Douglas Road, subject to the stipulations in the staff report and required city registration.

Sam (city planner) summarized that the property is zoned Planned Business District and that sales of low-potency hemp edibles are a conditional use in that district. Staff said the business meets city code Title 11 4 18, that the location will be more than 1,000 feet from other cannabis and low-potency uses as required by local rule, and that the applicant already holds state registration under the Office of Cannabis Management'supervised low-potency registration process (staff said the office has overseen enactment of statute \"3 42\" since 2023).

Sam told commissioners the applicant must obtain city registration and approval from City Council and the Office of Cannabis Management before beginning on-site sales, and that state registration-process changes planned for the fall would not prevent this applicant from converting because they are already in the state system.

Applicant Mike Bridal (address and business listed at 8599 West Point Douglas Road) told the commission he is enrolled in cannabis-retail certification at Saint Paul College and described product controls, consumer education and his intention to operate responsibly. He and staff clarified for commissioners that state setback requirements for full-potency cannabis (e.g., schools and parks) do not apply to low-potency hemp edibles, and that a bus garage near the site is not classified as a school under the setback rules for full-potency operations.

After staff and the applicant answered questions, the commission opened and closed the public hearing with no public speakers and approved the conditional use permit subject to staff stipulations. The formal vote was recorded as 5-0 in favor. The applicant must next complete city registration and the state approval steps before sales can begin on site.","Commission recommended approval of a conditional use permit for Grove Tobacco to sell registered low-potency hemp edibles from a suite in a multi-tenant building, subject to city registration and state Office of Cannabis Management approvals.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Planning panel backs rezoning and restoration plan for Cedarhurst Mansion; applicant proposes event venue and atrium addition

Commission backs Elmar Village parking variance with condition to study trail safety and buffering

Commission recommends approval for 61 Marine expansion, requires matching materials and lighting controls

Planning commission approves Grove Tobacco's conditional use permit for low-potency hemp edibles