Planning commission approves 164‑unit Hadley Avenue apartments amid resident concerns over traffic, stormwater and schools

The Cottage Grove Planning Commission approved a comprehensive plan amendment, rezoning and site plan review that will allow Real Estate Equities to build a 164‑unit apartment building at 10015 Hamlet Avenue. The commission voted 7‑0 to recommend approval to the City Council, subject to the conditions in the staff report.

Staff told the commission the 4.7‑acre parcel is currently guided as medium‑density residential in the 2040 comprehensive plan (5–13 units per acre) but that density can be transferred from a nearby Department of Natural Resources parcel so the site can be reguided as high‑density residential (14–30 units per acre). Planning staff said the project, as proposed, works out to roughly 21 units per acre.

“High density development here would function as a buffer between the industrial area and the single family and townhouse residences,” a staff presenter said, explaining the proposed transfer of about 50 units of density from the DNR parcel. Staff also said the Metropolitan Council’s sector representative confirmed the amendment could be handled administratively because it meets the council’s criteria for administrative review.

The developer proposes a four‑story building with one level of underground parking. Enrica Williams, project architect with Koss Wilson Architects, described the building and operations: the underground level will contain parking and service rooms; trash and recycling will be collected via internal chutes and staged at the garage entrance for pickup; and exterior materials will include cultured stone plus siding and paneling. Williams said, “When you’re under approximately 200 units, you only need one entry in and out of the site,” citing traffic study, city coordination and fire‑code requirements.

Staff and the applicant presented differing parking figures. The applicant said the underground garage would house 148 stalls. Planning staff reported the site will provide more than 300 stalls in total, including approximately 64 open‑air stalls and additional underground stalls, noting county funding requirements drove a 1:1 outdoor parking ratio for portions of the project.

Stormwater and flooding were a major focus. Assistant City Engineer Crystal Riley explained the site sits in a low area with limited places for stormwater; the development team ran a back‑to‑back 100‑year storm model (an extreme, worst‑case scenario) and found runoff could overtop to Hamlet Avenue but would not inundate neighboring homes or the proposed building. “It would overtop a little bit, out onto Hamlet Avenue,” Riley said, adding the water would enter the Hamlet Avenue storm sewer system and that the street would remain passable in that modeled event.

Several nearby residents spoke at the public hearing, raising traffic, flooding and school‑capacity concerns. Mike Porter of Hamlet Court said the project would “block our view” and argued, “All they want is to come here and have an excuse to make a bunch of money.” Nancy Delmore told the commission her basement has flooded multiple times and urged caution on stormwater impacts. Andrew Nelson, who lives on Hamlet Lane South, cited growing traffic backups at nearby intersections and concerns about Pine Hill Elementary and other school capacities.

Planning staff responded that the city and school district meet regularly and that the district is aware of growth in the area and pursuing its own facilities projects. Staff also said the parcel meets code for setbacks, height and site coverage as proposed; the applicant will be required to update a photometric plan (staff noted the submitted plan only showed parking lot foot‑candles) and to provide mitigation for the removal of qualifying trees. Staff recorded 437 qualifying inches of trees on site proposed for removal; code allows 40% removal without mitigation and the applicant proposed 30 replacement inches and a cash‑in‑lieu payment for the remaining required mitigation inches.

Commissioner discussion included requests that staff consider a future, broader concept for the quadrant of parcels in the area, given a separate nearby project withdrawal left multiple parcels potentially subject to high‑density proposals. Commissioner Woodman asked the city to return with an illustrative plan for the four‑parcel quadrant. Commissioner Stevens noted the back‑to‑back 100‑year storm is an uncommon event and that staff had completed the necessary engineering analysis.

Commissioner Burton moved to approve the comprehensive plan amendment, rezoning and site plan review based on findings of fact and subject to the staff report conditions; Commissioner Stevens seconded. The motion carried 7‑0.

The project record shows the developer will reconstruct a portion of Hamlet Avenue to an urban section with curb, gutter and storm sewer and will build an 8‑foot trail consistent with the city’s parks and trails plan. The Metropolitan Council administrative review and tree mitigation details remain conditions for final City Council and permit approvals.