Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Planning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Wabasha County approves Cornerstone Ridge preliminary plat amid public objections over bluffs, runoff and road safety
Summary
After a 5–0 planning commission recommendation and public comment raising bluff setbacks, drainage and sightline concerns, the county board approved the 109‑acre Cornerstone Ridge preliminary plat; developer and engineer presented construction and stormwater plans.
The Wabasha County Board approved a preliminary plat for Cornerstone Ridge, a proposed 10‑lot subdivision on about 109 acres in Mazeppa Township, at its June 3 meeting. The plat application was submitted by Brent Beck of Cornerstone Real Estate; the planning commission recommended approval on a 5–0 vote.
The approval followed more than an hour of public comment from nearby residents who raised concerns about bluff setbacks, stormwater runoff, sight distance on County Road 21 and whether road maintenance by a homeowners association would be adequate. Sarah Erickson read a written letter noting that the initial submittal lacked a water‑runoff plan and asked why the preliminary plat omitted the top and toe of bluffs in the mapping. "We hope the Board of Commissioners will reject this preliminary plat proposal," Erickson said in her prepared remarks.
Other nearby residents echoed concerns. Joe Larson said he had not seen drainage or culvert plans and worried the first 300–400 feet of the proposed road would impact a bluff. Mary Larson said the project would affect longstanding century farms and slow farm equipment travel. Joe Rodriguez asked how many public roads in the county are maintained by homeowners associations and said filtration basin design and volumes were not shown in the materials he reviewed. Logan White said his well is shallow and expressed concern that additional households could further lower the water table.
Engineer Kyle Scove of WHKS, the project's engineer, told the board the team had prepared preliminary construction plans and a stormwater report to meet the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. Scove said filtration basins were used in the design in accordance with the Minnesota Stormwater Manual and that the basins were sized to meet the state requirement for one inch of runoff from impervious surfaces; he said the model shows runoff after development would be slightly less than existing conditions for key storms. "For all of those events, the runoff from this site is slightly less after development than it is today," Scove said.
Developer Brent Beck said he planned to retain roughly 35 acres in the back of the property, potentially enrolling it in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), and said the design team had worked with county planning, zoning and the highway engineer on setback and road matters. Planning staff (Joel Larson) explained the county's ordinance definition of a bluff — rising at least 25 feet with an overall slope of 30 percent or greater and specified breaks — and said the bluff line shown was based on a combination of field survey and LiDAR contour data.
Commissioners discussed the difficulty of denying a proposal that meets zoning requirements and the role of Mazeppa Township in setting A‑3 rural residential zoning earlier. After discussion, Commissioner Springer moved and Commissioner Powers seconded approval of the preliminary plat; the motion carried.
What happens next: The applicant will return with a final plat, and the county will review construction drawings, stormwater plans and any required easements before final approval. The county's final engineering review and any required construction permits must be completed before road dedication or public improvements occur.
