Corcoran residents press city to open Hunters Ridge access to County Road 116, citing safety and contract language

Several residents of the Bellwether neighborhood urged the Corcoran City Council on Jan. 25, 2024, to open Hunters Ridge to County Road 116 (CSAH 116), saying the connection is required under the recorded Bellwether development contract and that current access limitations create safety and evacuation risks.

The push drew multiple public comments and a pledge from city staff to locate and share past contract and meeting records. The issue centers on language in the Bellwether master development contract about Hunters Ridge and two cost items residents said were tied to phasing milestones.

"We really believe accessing Hunters Ridge will relieve an awful lot of the headaches and the safety even issues that go on," said Mark Woda, a Bellwether resident who addressed the council during open forum.

Why it matters: residents told the council that with limited routes in and out of Bellwether — currently the main entrance and a second exit via Stieg Road and Highway 101 — the neighborhood could face bottlenecks in a natural-disaster or medical-emergency evacuation. They also point to recorded contract language they say obligates completion of Hunters Ridge improvements during later development phases.

Contract language and resident claims

Terry Layman, a Bellwether resident, read from what he identified as the recorded Bellwether development contract (filed Nov. 19, 2018, Hennepin County recorder document number A10611827), and cited two subparagraphs he said are on page 4: "Sub paragraph f states, Hunter's Ridge Improvements, as outlined in the feasibility study and estimated at $200,000 will be due when phase 4 and 5, as shown in the phasing plan, which was received 08/10/2018 is plotted. Sub paragraph g states ... CSAH 116 slash Hunters Ridge Intersection, as outlined in the feasibility study, and estimated at $230,000 will be due in phases 4 and 5, as shown on the phasing plan received 08/10/2018, is plotted."

Several residents also offered data they said showed Bellwether's rapid growth and local tax contribution. Ron Lidenfelser, a Bellwether resident, told the council: "I obtained that data from our Bellwether newsletter that just came out 2 days ago ... and we came up with, an average of $7,000 per lot, property tax revenue from our community." Councilors and staff pushed back on that figure during the meeting, noting that the city share of property tax is smaller and that the $7,000 number compared total property tax (including schools and county) rather than only the city portion.

City response and operational status

Jay Tobin, Corcoran's city administrator, said staff will look for meeting records and contract context and follow up with residents: "I will work with Ron ... and as we work to provide that data when we find it, we could distribute it through those channels." Tobin also reiterated the council’s role: "Our role is to represent residents and make sure that the city does the right thing for the residents and maintains its promises."

On the question of immediate emergency access, a city public-works representative described the physical state of the Hunters Ridge approach: "It's the full section minus the pavement and curve. So it's a full section of road minus the pavement and curve," adding that the road base and gravel are in place and that temporary fencing could be moved or equipment used to open the route to emergency vehicles if requested by public safety.

Council context

Council members who spoke repeatedly framed the situation as a tension between honoring promises made to neighbors during approval of Bellwether and the desires of newer residents to reduce construction impacts and improve access. One councilor described the recurring pattern around new developments: "When I joined the council there was 1 new development in progress. And we have had like 10. ... Halfway through the new development go it, going in, they the people that live there complain about the construction traffic." (Councilor Jeremy.)

Next steps and staff direction

The mayor said staff will collect the relevant contract and meeting records and follow up with residents who signed public-comment cards. The council did not vote on opening Hunters Ridge during the meeting; no ordinance or development permit action was taken. City staff indicated they would search past meeting videos and records and circulate findings to interested residents.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to approve the meeting agenda as amended (updates to council minutes and an item on organics recycling): Motion by Councilor Schultz; second by Councilor Bottel; outcome: approved (voice vote). - Motion to extend a public-comment speaker's time by three minutes: mover/second not specified on the record; outcome: approved (voice vote).

Ending

Residents and councilors asked staff to return with documentary evidence of the contract phasing and any prior council commitments; staff pledged to search recorded meetings and distribute relevant documents to residents who asked for follow-up.