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Council approves variances and final plat for O'Gorman addition; developer and staff flag alley/right‑of‑way issues
Summary
The council approved variances for lot depth and front yard setbacks and accepted the final plat for the O'Gorman addition while acknowledging unresolved alley alignment and development‑agreement details; staff said vacated alleys from 2018 will be reestablished as public right‑of‑way.
The Cannon Falls City Council on May 19 approved Resolution 2876 granting variances for minimum lot depth and front yard setbacks for the O'Gorman addition and then approved Resolution 2877 to accept the final plat, while the developer raised concerns about alley alignment, prior vacation records and potential assessment obligations.
Izzy summarized the planning commission’s May 11 review and unanimous recommendation to grant the variances: minimum lot depths were reduced from the code requirement and two lots will have front yard setbacks decreased from 25 to about 17 feet on specific lots within the plat. The planning commission also approved the final plat, but staff noted the development agreement still needs negotiation prior to recording and construction.
Developer Mr. Gorman addressed the council, saying older alleys in the neighborhood appear to be recorded differently and that the alley/road right‑of‑way lies close to several structures; he questioned why he would be assessed for paving when other alleys have not been assessed in the past. Staff responded that a 2018 vacation plan left the legal status such that the alley had been recorded as vacated, but the current approach is to replat and reestablish those paths as public alleys that the city will maintain going forward. The final plat was approved with council direction that the development agreement be negotiated and returned to council for approval.
Council and staff also discussed construction and assessment sequencing tied to how alleys and right‑of‑way are staked and verified. For one alley the council agreed to additional staking/surveying and vegetation/hedge removal if necessary to ensure the pavement is placed within the city right‑of‑way.
What comes next: Staff will negotiate the development agreement for the O'Gorman addition and record the final plat consistent with the approved variances; the alley staking and survey work will be completed before certain paving work proceeds.
