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Board approves Oman Addition final plat; access to Lake Bilsby remains unresolved
Summary
The board approved the 123-acre Oman Addition final plat (five proposed lots) but noted the county does not have a recorded easement across the land to reach a county-owned boat launch on Lake Bilsby. Staff urged negotiating an easement or land swap with Oman Farms LLC and flagged possible prescriptive‑use claims if access were later denied.
The Goodhue County Board of Commissioners voted Nov. 4 to approve the Oman Addition final plat, a 123‑acre division proposing five lots for property owned by Oman Farms LLC at an address in Cannon Falls.
Land use staff said the entire property is zoned A2 (agricultural) and carries one density unit under the zoning rules; the preliminary plat and Planning Commission review were completed earlier in 2025. Staff recommended approval of the final plat but told the board that county‑owned land north of the property provides public access to Lake Bilsby — including a boat launch — and staff found no recorded easement granting legal access across the Oman property.
“When I look at aerial photography it looks like that access has been used at least since 1971,” a staff presentation said, noting decades of public use but no recorded easement. Staff reported that Oman Farms declined to add an easement to the plat and that county attorneys had discussed the legal options, including negotiation, purchase, or a future prescriptive‑use claim if access were ever denied.
A representative for the property owners, identified in the meeting as Keith Oman, told the board the LLC is being split into individual owners and said his brother — the likely new owner of the parcel providing the route — would be willing to work with the county on an easement but the LLC would not invest in an updated plat or survey at this time. The board agreed not to withhold plat approval pending an easement and approved the plat by motion. Commissioners also requested that the board record its intent to pursue a legally appropriate means of securing access to county land and the public boat launch in follow-up discussions with the property owner and the county Land Committee.
Staff recommended the County Land Committee and property owner negotiate access details such as width, location, maintenance responsibilities and potential land swap arrangements; staff flagged the matter as unresolved and recommended the county follow up to resolve the long‑standing access arrangement.
The motion to approve the final plat was adopted by voice vote.
