Commissioners approve Riverbend plat splitting 9.09-acre riverside parcel into four lots

The Cottage Grove Planning & Zoning Commission on March 23 approved the Riverbend Preliminary Plat (PP 2026-00008), which will divide an existing 9.09-acre parcel along Greycloud Trail and the Mississippi River into four parcels.

Senior Planner Samantha Puret summarized staff’s recommendation and the technical requirements for approval: the site is zoned R1 rural residential along the river and AG2 agriculture across Greycloud Trail, and each new lot must meet the R1 minimum lot-size standard of 3 acres. Staff said an 80-foot right-of-way for Greycloud Trail will be dedicated and deed restrictions must be recorded to memorialize common ownership requirements for outlots that lie across the right-of-way. The recommendation also requires the applicant to identify primary and alternate septic locations and obtain Washington County approval prior to recording the final plat; payment of stormwater and park-dedication fees is required before issuance of any building permit on the new lots.

Samantha Puret, senior planner, said the applicant’s surveyor depicted approximately a half-acre of buildable area on one of the lots that meets setbacks from property lines, rights-of-way, the river and nearby bluffs, and noted that vegetation and bluff impacts are strictly regulated in the Mississippi River critical corridor portion of the site.

Applicant Betsy Depel, who identified herself as the owner and longtime resident, told commissioners she and her husband have owned and maintained the property since 1984 and said the split is intended to help pass the land to the next generation. “We have owned and maintained this property for 42 years,” Depel said. She also noted a prior assessment of about $10,000 for an adjacent road improvement and asked whether required dedications and per-lot fees leave room for flexibility in cases of limited, family-driven splits.

Staff responded that many fees are set by city ordinance and conveyed the city’s rural-friendly fee calculation for large acreage splits — an approach intended to avoid charging full acreage-based fees when lots are large and future development is not imminent. After questions were answered, Commissioner Britain moved to approve the preliminary plat subject to the stipulations in the staff report; Commissioner Canaval seconded. The motion passed by voice vote, 6–0.

Next steps: the applicant will need to record required deed restrictions, finalize septic approvals with Washington County, dedicate the 80-foot right-of-way shown on the plat, and pay required fees before building permits can be issued.