Pine Island reports rapid growth, sewer-district progress and experiments to address housing and childcare

Elizabeth Howard, administrator for the City of Pine Island, told the Olmsted County Board that Pine Island is among the fastest-growing communities in the region and outlined the city’s efforts to expand housing options, resolve aging wastewater infrastructure and explore childcare solutions.

Howard said Pine Island’s median age is 33.9 compared with 37.9 for Olmsted County and 42.1 for Goodhue County, and that school open enrollment is about 33 percent — both factors that drive demand for housing and services. She said the city currently has two single-family housing developments (one in Goodhue County and one in Olmsted County) and a new townhome subdivision on the Goodhue side. Howard said the city lacks apartments and is seeking ways to encourage affordable, workforce and market-rate multifamily housing.

On wastewater, Howard described a multi-community sanitary sewer district that Pine Island and neighboring jurisdictions have pursued for about four years. She said a joint powers entity has purchased land for a consolidated treatment facility outside Zumbroda, and that the group previously received $10 million in state bonding funds to cover engineering, design and land acquisition. If additional funding is secured, Howard said construction could begin in roughly two years. She cited estimated annual operating savings of about $500,000 for a consolidated facility versus multiple smaller plants — roughly $20 million over a projected 40-year life of a larger plant.

Howard described ongoing discussions with the Prairie Island Indian Community, planning for commercial and industrial growth (including a potential 400-acre light industrial/technology campus that would require annexation), and local investments such as the City’s purchase of 22 acres on the north side of town and potential sites for future school expansion (Howard said the district bought an additional parcel of about 80 acres along County Road 5).

On childcare, Howard said Pine Island is testing “childcare pods” — small, two-bedroom, one-bath structures in new subdivisions that could be leased to childcare providers; if the business fails the unit could revert to housing. The city is also exploring fee waivers and land purchases to lower development costs and encourage affordable housing production.

Howard invited questions from county commissioners. Commissioners asked for more detail about housing cost reduction tools and solid-waste routing; Howard said garbage haulers currently route north-side collection to Red Wing and south-side collection to Rochester, producing multiple collection days and added street wear. Howard said the city is continuing environmental review for the proposed large campus (an AUAR) and is investigating federal and bonding funding options for the sewer project.

Howard concluded by offering to return with further details as initiatives progress.