Carver County reviews draft master plan for Cologne public works site tied to County Road 212 project

At a Carver County Board work session, county staff presented a draft master plan for the county public works headquarters in Cologne that anticipates changes triggered by the County Road 212 project and outlines near- and long-term options for site security, circulation and future buildings.

The plan, introduced by Nick Kictavy, assistant county administrator, lays out a new entrance alignment driven by the County Road 212 project and shows areas where excess soil could be used for berming, screening and limited regrading. "Again, I'm Nick Kictavy, the assistant county administrator, here to talk about our public worksite planning process," Kictavy told the commissioners. Architect John McNamara of Wold Architects described layouts that retain existing tanks but relocate the fuel island and reconfigure circulation.

The project context and why it matters

County staff said the County Road 212 realignment will shift the site entrance and create excess soils that could be reused on the public works property. That change, staff said, makes it timely to update the site's conditional use permit so the county does not repeatedly seek approvals if it later adds buildings, berms or fencing. "This doesn't suggest that we're relocating the, tanks themselves. They're in good shape and can stay where they are," McNamara said when describing a proposed 30-foot shift of the fuel island to permit circulation on both sides of the island.

What the draft plan shows and operational questions

- Entrance and circulation: The draft reflects the new road easement from the County Road 212 project and a relocated entry near the existing salt shed. Staff said the new entrance and the road realignment are scheduled to be completed this summer and that the existing public-works sign will be moved as part of that work.

- Berming and screening: Designers proposed using excess soils from the 212 project to construct berms and extend screening on the north and west sides of the property; the berms would also affect where fencing and gates could be placed.

- Fencing and security: The presentation shows fencing that would enclose operations and storage areas but leave employee and visitor parking accessible. Staff and the architect said a typical solution would be a chain-link fence about 6 to 8 feet high; final height and appearance would be refined with public-works input.

- Fuel island and brine: McNamara said the plan contemplates reconstructing and relocating the fuel island roughly 30 feet to improve vehicle circulation while leaving the underground tanks in place. The county also discussed moving brine mixing out of the existing wash bay into a contained brine facility; staff said a new brine facility would be designed to contain spills and that an MPCA permit is required for salt/brine storage and handling.

- Parking and on-site circulation: Designers proposed restriping the front employee lot to 10-by-20-foot stalls to better accommodate larger trucks; staff said that change would slightly reduce the number of stalls but not materially affect parking availability for employees and visitors.

- Future buildings and expansion areas: The draft maps show potential pads for additional warm and cold storage buildings (including space used by the sheriff's impound storage), areas where additional parking could be added and several locations labeled for possible future expansions. Staff emphasized these are options—not firm projects—and that some expansions could be 10–20 years out.

Funding, timing and permitting

Staff said some immediate items tied to the 212 project (shown in the plan as dark gray) will be completed with that project's funding this summer. The county has an earlier set-aside for paving in the site’s light-gray areas from previous budgets; staff cautioned that the previously cited figure (about $1.8 million in prior materials) is likely out of date and that a fresh cost estimate is needed. Commissioners asked staff to produce order-of-magnitude cost estimates and suggested phasing around near-term items such as paving, fencing and the fuel-island work.

Permitting: County staff said the planned changes will require a new conditional use permit application, including township notification, planning commission review and county board approval, to authorize new berms, a relocated sign and other layout changes.

Discussion highlights and operational concerns

Commissioners raised site-specific operational questions, including corrosion from brine and salt migration, prior underground pipe repairs, and whether brine mixing needs to be heated (staff said it does not). Commissioners also flagged long-term recruitment and retention challenges tied to the Cologne location and suggested exploring acquisitions of adjacent land if a willing seller emerges. One commissioner described the current site as "isolated" and noted sheriff staff already use space at the property; staff said security cameras are in place and that the sheriff’s department is aware of potential yard changes.

Branding and signage

Several commissioners recommended a countywide approach to facility signage and consistent visual identity across properties; staff said the immediate plan is to relocate the existing sign this summer and that a broader signage update could be pursued through future CIP requests.

Next steps

Staff told the board they will incorporate commissioner feedback, return with cost estimates and identify which elements are candidates for near-term funding and which belong in the county's CIP or long-range financial plan. No formal action or vote was taken at the session.