Commission recommends Lockridge subdivision rezoning and plat after heated debate over trail behind lakeside homes

The Cottage Grove Planning Commission on Jan. 27 voted 4-3 to recommend that the City Council approve a rezoning (CZA2025-004) and preliminary plat (PP2025-004) for the Lockridge subdivision, a 55-acre development proposed by Pulte Homes of Minnesota that would rezone land from AG-2 (agriculture) to R-4 (transitional residential) and create 99 single-family lots and 84 townhome units.

Senior planner Samantha Purit told the commission the proposal complies with the city’s 2040 comprehensive plan’s “low-density residential” guidance by proposing 2.92 dwelling units per acre after excluding right-of-way and wetland area. Purit said the developer plans three stormwater ponds, a trail around Lake Robert that the comprehensive plan contemplates, and a new segment of Ravine Parkway to be built as part of the development. Staff noted the developer will construct the roadway section and the city will cost-share improvements beyond the standard section.

Haley Daley, with Pulte Homes, said market analysis supports a mix of townhomes and single-family homes for this site; Mark Rausch of Alliant Engineering described stormwater routing and confirmed a trunk pipe will collect flows to the proposed ponds and discharge to Lake Robert.

The plan drew extensive public comment from homeowners on the south side of Lake Robert who said they were told previously that a walking trail would not be routed through the south shoreline and who raised privacy, tree-removal and flooding concerns. AJ Ecker, a resident of Waters at Michaels Pointe, said neighbors had been “assured that a walking path was not going to go around the south side of the lake,” and asked the commission to uphold that prior understanding. Several neighbors said the available buffer between back property corners and the water is narrow in places and that the trail as shown would be within a few feet of backyards.

Staff and the developer said the narrowest measured distance between rear lot corners and the water is approximately 50 feet at the tightest point, and staff said design options such as boardwalk segments are being considered to reduce wetland impacts. Staff also said permits and mitigation from watershed and state agencies will be required for any trail work that affects wetland areas.

Traffic analysis presented to the commission indicated Jamaica Avenue currently carries about 4,100 vehicle trips per day; the developer estimated the Lockridge addition would add roughly 1,500 trips per day, leaving volumes below the ~15,000 trips-per-day capacity originally envisioned for Jamaica. Commissioners and commenters discussed the County’s planned Jamaica Avenue reconstruction, currently anticipated around 2028, and potential future city maintenance if roadway ownership transfers after reconstruction.

Commissioner Fisher proposed an amendment to the staff recommendation that would have removed the trail segment immediately behind the existing homes on 67th Street Court South; that amendment failed on the vote (ayes: Fisher, Bott, Britton; noes: Knabell, Frasier, Rasmussen, Stevens). Commissioner Knabell then moved to recommend approval as presented in the staff report; that motion passed 4-3 (ayes: Knabell, Rasmussen, Stevens, Cavanable; noes: Bott, Britton, Fisher). The commission’s recommendation includes the conditions listed in the staff report, including the requirement that the developer construct the trail segment around Lake Robert (condition 11), subject to design and permitting.

Several commissioners urged staff and the developer to work with neighbors on trail design, tree preservation, landscaping mitigation, and low-impact trail construction methods (including potential boardwalks) to reduce impacts on private yards and wetlands. Commissioner Stevens noted stormwater management and a staff finding that the development could raise lake water levels by an estimated half-foot, and asked staff to ensure that water-quality and level impacts be addressed in final engineering and permitting.

The commission sent its recommendation and the staff record to the City Council for final action. Staff said final engineering, trail alignment and construction details will be settled during permitting and that state and watershed permits will be required for any work in wetland areas.

Votes at a glance: • Motion to amend condition 11 to remove the trail behind properties on 67th Street Court South — failed (ayes: Fisher, Bott, Britton; noes: Knabell, Frasier, Rasmussen, Stevens). • Motion to recommend approval of rezoning (AG-2 to R-4) and preliminary plat (Lockridge) subject to staff conditions — passed, 4-3.