Resident raises access, safety concerns for proposed “Interspecies City” farm after county roundabout plan

Stuart Turnquist, a resident of Otsego, told the City Council during open forum that he has assembled multiple parcels into a working property he calls “Interspecies City” and wants to develop a bed-and-breakfast, farm store and event uses there, but that access changes tied to a county roundabout could prevent safe entry to his house and future business.

Turnquist said the property includes several parcels and an eight‑acre tract he believes needs to be returned to commercial to accommodate a bed-and-breakfast and related visitor uses. He described the site as a mix of woods, prairie and riverfront land and said he has invested decades in building the farm and related cultural projects.

The concern drew responses from city staff and the city engineer, who said the intersection project is a county‑led roundabout funded with Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) money. The engineer explained the county is using state and federal safety funds and noted “It’s it's a county project that they're getting, federal aid money for for state aid money to fix it up into a roundabout for for safety reasons. It's actually, safety money called HSIP.”

City staff and the engineer described two potential access challenges that affect Turnquist’s property: one driveway lies about 370 feet from the roundabout and another is closer—about 150 feet—and would fall within the roundabout gore pattern where a left‑turn movement would be difficult. The engineer said steep elevation changes on the northern approach limit options for a new connecting street and that using Turnquist’s existing east driveway to reach the house would require physically linking two driveways and coordinating with the county.

Staff proposed possible mitigations the city can pursue with the county if the property owner is willing to cooperate, including extending the traffic island to create a dedicated left‑turn waiting lane or connecting the two driveways so drivers can access the house without making a hazardous maneuver from the roundabout. The planner told the council that, as presented by staff, bed-and-breakfast and farm‑store uses are allowed in the agricultural district and that a commercial rezoning might not be required for the uses Turnquist described.

Mayor and staff said the city can assist by relaying Turnquist’s safety and access concerns to county staff but emphasized the county has jurisdiction over the roundabout design. Council members asked staff to continue discussions with the property owner and the county, and staff said they will follow up with both parties.

Turnquist and city staff agreed the county will need to be involved and that any engineering solution will require property‑level cooperation; no formal action or vote was taken by the council on this matter.