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Planning commission recommends approval of 3‑acre/44‑acre split at 6219 Lamar Avenue
Summary
The Cottage Grove Planning Commission voted 7-0 Sept. 22 to recommend a variance permitting a 47‑acre parcel at 6219 Lamar Avenue to be divided into a 3‑acre residential lot and a 44‑acre agricultural parcel, subject to staff conditions and a deed restriction tying a narrow frontage sliver to the larger acreage.
The Cottage Grove Planning Commission voted 7-0 on Sept. 22 to recommend approval of a variance that would split a 47-acre parcel at 6219 Lamar Avenue into a 3-acre residential parcel and a 44-acre agricultural parcel, subject to conditions in the staff report and an added deed restriction requiring that a narrow frontage sliver along Lamar remain tied to the larger acreage.
City planning staff told the commission the property is zoned AG‑1 and designated rural residential in the city’s 2040 comprehensive plan. City code 11‑61 requires parcels in AG‑1 to have a minimum of 200 feet of road frontage; the proposed 3‑acre parcel would provide approximately 447 linear feet of frontage on Lamar Avenue. Staff also said a 0.33‑acre strip along Lamar would be dedicated to the city as right of way for possible future road expansion.
Planning staff (Sam) said the proposed split otherwise meets the city’s standards for an exemption from platting and that several nearby properties in R‑1 and AG‑1 are three acres or smaller. Staff recommended approval with the standard conditions and a fourth condition added at the meeting: a deed restriction or legal mechanism ensuring the 44‑acre parcel and the sliver along Lamar are sold together to avoid creating a landlocked remnant.
Applicant Benjamin Ratzlaff, who identified himself as residing at 6225 Lamar Avenue South, told the commission the split is intended to settle his mother’s estate and to keep the agricultural and residential holdings separate. "It's gonna essentially stay the same," Ratzlaff said of future use.
Commissioners asked about the history of the small, platted sliver along Lamar. Staff explained the strip was created by an earlier plat on the west side of Lamar and remained as a remnant parcel; combining a platted parcel with an unplatted parcel generally requires a new plat. The added deed restriction was described as a way to avoid the time and cost of replatting while ensuring legal frontage and preventing an unintended, landlocked parcel.
Commissioner Fisher moved to approve the variance subject to the staff conditions and the additional deed restriction; Commissioner Woodman seconded. The motion passed unanimously (7-0).
Because the item requires final action by the City Council, staff noted the council will consider the commission’s recommendation at its Oct. 15, 2025 meeting at 7 p.m.
