Resident raises wetlands, inspection and Xcel Energy concerns ahead of Lockridge final plat approval
Summary
A resident asked the council to resolve outstanding engineering issues before final plat approval for the Lockridge development and requested clarity on inspection sign-off and Xcel Energy coordination; the Lockridge final plat was on the consent agenda and approved, and staff pledged to follow up with details.
A resident urged Cottage Grove council members on May 21 to address outstanding engineering and environmental concerns before final sign-off on the Lockridge development’s final plat.
Bonnie Matter told the council the engineering consulting firm Bolton & Menk had submitted multiple letters on the project, including one dated Jan. 17 and a later letter she said was dated May 15, and she asked the council to ensure items in the later memo were resolved before approving the plat. “There were quite a few issues. There’s issues around high water level, wetland issues,” she said.
Matter asked who performs physical inspections and signs off on items listed in the engineering attachments and how the city coordinates with Xcel Energy on utility planning for new developments. “Does Bolton and Menk send somebody out? Does the city do something and who would that be? And then my other question is, how does the city interact with Xcel Energy?” she asked.
The Lockridge final plat appeared on the meeting’s consent agenda. The council moved and approved the consent agenda; the mayor signaled staff would prepare responses to resident questions. Mayor Myron Bailey told the audience staff would take the information and return a response to residents and the council.
At the meeting there was no separate public hearing or standalone council discussion on Lockridge beyond the resident’s open-forum comments; staff did not provide a detailed technical response during open forum. Council members indicated they would have staff follow up on the specific engineering and utility coordination questions after the meeting.
The resident’s request emphasized avoiding later conditional use permits (CUPs) or planned unit developments (PUDs) by addressing technical concerns now, and asked the council to clarify which agency or consultant holds the inspection sign-off and where sign-off documentation is stored.
Outcome: The Lockridge final plat was included in the approved consent agenda; staff were directed to follow up with the resident with the Bolton & Menk findings, inspection and sign-off procedures, and Xcel Energy points of contact.
