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Cottage Grove council orders $3.8 million pavement project after public hearing
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Summary
After a public hearing and resident concerns about homeowner assessments, the Cottage Grove City Council voted Jan. 7 to order a roughly $3.8 million 2026 pavement management project covering 1.6 miles of streets; final assessments will be set after bids and an assessment hearing this fall.
The Cottage Grove City Council voted Jan. 7 to order the 2026 pavement management project, authorizing staff to move forward with plans and solicit bids for roughly $3.8 million in street, curb and utility work. Councilmember Olson moved to adopt resolution 2026-005 ordering the project; Councilmember Garza seconded and the motion passed by voice vote.
City engineer Paul Sponholz told the council the city’s pavement management program—started in 1994—identified neighborhoods west of Jamaica, north of 90th Street and south of Hillside for work covering about 1.6 miles, including Woodridge Park, Thompson Grove Estates, Pine Tree Pond townhomes and the Cottage Grove commercial area. Sponholz said visual PACER ratings for many segments were between 5 and 7 (city average about 7.5), core samples showed asphalt stripping and separation of surface layers, and the thin overlay applied eight years earlier will likely fail soon without deeper rehabilitation.
Sponholz described the proposed work as a full replacement of the asphalt surface (leaving the existing base aggregate), two lifts totaling about 3.5 inches of bituminous asphalt, full curb replacement where roughly 70% of curb is in poor condition, spot repair or lining of sewer pipes where televised inspection found root intrusion, and a new sidewalk on Hillside Trail between Jamaica Avenue and Woodridge Park. He said the total project cost is estimated at about $3,800,000 and that just over $1.1 million would be recovered through special assessments on directly benefiting properties under the city’s assessment policy.
Per the city’s special benefit appraisal and assessment policy, staff presented illustrative per-property caps: about $7,100 for each of 107 single-family homes, roughly $2,700 for each of 99 townhomes, about $37,700 for Aldi (noted in the presentation), $0 for AutoZone (because it lacks direct drive access to the affected streets), and sample figures for Armstrong Elementary and Grove Church. Sponholz said final assessment amounts will be set after bids are received and a separate assessment hearing later this fall.
Residents at the hearing urged caution. Mallory Martin, a 17-year Cottage Grove resident and school-district employee, said a $7,100 assessment poses a financial strain for many households and asked that any installment plan carry no interest. Bobby Fraley, another resident, asked about driveway apron durability and how the city would handle temporary parking during construction. A resident who identified herself as Michelle questioned why heavier users of Hillside would not share more of the cost and suggested property-tax increases should cover a larger share.
Staff and Public Works representatives answered resident questions: the city will line main sewer pipes where needed but private service laterals to individual homes remain the property owner’s responsibility; the city’s standard apron design is a full six-inch concrete section (without rebar) and the city will coordinate construction parking plans and a dedicated inspector. Staff said notice to residents began with early letters in March and included a neighborhood meeting on Dec. 1 and additional mailings before the public hearing.
On financing mechanics, staff noted the city’s policy sets assessment interest at 1.5 percentage points above the bond rate the city receives. Final project costs, and therefore final assessments, will depend on bid results; Sponholz and staff told the council that lower-than-estimated bids would reduce assessment amounts and higher bids could require adjustments.
The council’s vote today orders the project so staff can complete plans and solicit bids. If the council proceeds to adopt assessments after the fall hearing, property owners may be offered payment over time or a lump-sum option; staff said deferrals are available for qualified owners (for disability, military status or age) and interest rules follow city policy linked to bond rates. The next formal step is the solicitation of bids in spring, with construction anticipated in summer 2026 and the assessment hearing later in the year.
