Inver Grove Heights council approves rezoning, variance and waiver of plat for 1120 Larria Court

The Inver Grove Heights City Council approved a rezoning, a lot-size variance and a waiver of plat for a property described in staff materials as 1120 Larria Court, after a planning presentation and public comment Thursday evening.

Senior Planner Ben Schneider told the council the applicant seeks to divide a roughly 4.97-acre parcel into two lots — one of about 2.47 acres and the other about 2.5 acres — and to rezone the property from Agricultural to E-1 Estate. “It’s a marginal ask of 0.03 acres short, which is, roughly, a little over a thousand square feet,” Schneider said, describing the variance as the minimum relief needed to create one new lot.

Schneider said the proposal is consistent with the comprehensive plan’s Rural Density Residential guidance and that the waiver of plat met the city’s criteria because the split would create only one new parcel, would not require new public right-of-way or easements and the lots are on a private road. He added the planning commission recommended approval on a 6–1 vote after a June public hearing in which three neighbors expressed support (two in person and one via written letter).

Applicant Corey Claren, who identified himself as the owner and resident at the address he gave to the council, described private maintenance practices for the road serving the lots. “We do collect funds once per year from every household and we use that money to pay for plowing and maintenance and patching of the asphalt,” Claren said. He also told the council the proposed new lot is heavily wooded and that the planned driveway and siting would keep the new house largely out of view from the road.

Two neighbors spoke at the council meeting. Dave Carlson, who said his property directly abuts the parcel under consideration, said he walked the site and “I could not really come up with anything that is a negative” and voiced support. Resident Martha Henderson said she has lived in the area since 1971 and expressed concern that subdividing 5-acre lots would change the rural character, increase noise and traffic and reduce privacy. “I am very concerned about the change of character of the neighborhood,” Henderson said.

Schneider told the council that a surveying discrepancy following development to the south reduced the parcel from a recorded 5.05 acres to the current 4.97 acres; staff treated that as a practical difficulty not caused by the owner. He also said the proposal would not alter the essential character of the locality because the proposed density is similar to adjacent development to the south.

The council voted to approve the waiver of plat, rezoning and variance. The motion to approve was made and seconded on the record; the clerk’s roll call recorded the following votes: Gliva — aye; Scales — aye; Murphy — aye; Dukach — aye; Dietrich — aye. The motion passed.

Councilors asked about private-road ownership and maintenance during the discussion. Schneider and the applicant said the road is privately maintained and that residents share maintenance costs; Claren described neighbors grading and occasional patching and that the group has delayed paving pending resolution of drainage concerns.

Planning staff flagged that subsequent steps for the project may require soil testing and septic review before building permits are issued. The planning commission’s minutes and staff report listed the parcel as guided Rural Density Residential and recommended approval of all three requests.

The council did not set additional conditions beyond the standard site- and building-permit reviews; the applicant and residents were advised that any future development and improvements to the private road would be managed by the property owners under their private agreements.

The council moved on to other business after the vote.