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Owner seeks to convert 224 North Main Street to four units; plan commission asks for feasibility study
Summary
Property owner Everlyn Kadoori asked the Cottage Grove Plan Commission about converting a two‑unit building at 224 North Main Street into four units. Commissioners said the change likely requires a comprehensive‑plan amendment and a planned unit development and asked the owner to consult fire, parking and utility requirements before returning.
Everlyn Kadoori, owner of 224 North Main Street in Cottage Grove, asked the Plan Commission whether she could convert the existing building into four separate dwelling units and received direction to pursue a technical feasibility review before any zoning steps.
Kadoori told the commission she wanted to "convert them into 4 units if that's an option," and said the building has basements that have been underused and could be made into livable spaces if code requirements are met. She said there is space for parking in front and backyard and that she would "make sure that, you know, the fire requirements and all the things that are required to ensure safety will be in place."
Commissioners and staff explained that the property is currently designated in the comprehensive plan and zoning for single‑family use and that creating four units would exceed densities for existing multifamily categories. Planning staff explained the conversion would likely require a comprehensive plan amendment and a planned unit development (PUD) or rezoning because the parcel’s density would be roughly 20 units per acre — higher than the village’s standard multifamily categories — and because parking and other site details would need bespoke allowances.
The commission recommended several initial steps before any formal application: consult the fire department about egress windows and potential sprinkler requirements; confirm whether basements can be made habitable with adequate egress; obtain an assessment of structural feasibility (can egress windows be cut in, are decks to be removed, etc.); check water laterals and utility capacity; and prepare a site plan showing parking, trash collection locations and any required changes to water or sewer connections.
Commissioners noted parking requirements in the ordinance (the staff noted a baseline of "at least 1 and a half spots per unit" per the ordinance) and that a PUD could address parking reductions or other exceptions but would represent an unusual precedent for the commission because PUDs are more commonly used for larger projects. The commission offered to connect Kadoori with the fire department and asked the applicant to return with the results of those feasibility checks and a simple site plan to demonstrate the proposal’s practicality.
No rezoning, PUD application or ordinance amendment was submitted or approved at the meeting; commissioners directed the applicant to gather technical information and return for a formal submittal.
