Rushford Village planning commission clears Vern Bunke subdivision concept plan to move forward

The Rushford Village Planning and Zoning Commission on April 15 voted to approve a concept plan submitted by developer Vern Bunke for a proposed single-family subdivision and sent the plan forward to preliminary engineering review and, ultimately, the city council.

The commission approved the motion “as presented” after members and village officials discussed utility access, lot layout and site constraints. Commissioners said final approval will depend on a technical review by CRV’s engineer, Derek Olinger of Bolton & Menk, who will assess sewer, water and road plans before the council considers a formal proposal.

Bunke told the commission he has prepared a concept and a written interpretation of Rushford Village ordinances that guided his design and said he has applied to the Minnesota Department of Transportation for access to Highway 16; Bunke reported MN DOT has given conditional approval pending CRV’s acceptance of the development plan. Bunke described lots ranging from about three-quarters of an acre to three acres and said each lot would be laid out with room for two septic sites; the plan calls for shared wells rather than individual village water hookups.

Commissioners and Mayor Dennis Overland raised several practical and fiscal concerns. Officials noted the sewer district has a limited number of hookups and that extending CRV water or sewer service to a new subdivision would likely be costly for the village; commissioners said CRV has not previously provided water and sewer hookups to private developments. McNamer said it may be most cost-effective for groups of lots to share a well, a configuration the developer and commissioners said would likely accelerate the project compared with building full CRV water infrastructure.

Soil suitability was also discussed. Overland questioned whether the sandy soil on the property could create septic limitations; Bunke said perk testing has not yet been completed and indicated mound systems might be required. Bunke emphasized stormwater retention as a priority and proposed that homeowners association covenants or CC&Rs require landscaping and lot design measures to retain water.

On site design standards, Bunke revised an initial plan that showed a 50-foot right-of-way to a 66-foot right-of-way. He detailed a 30-foot road base with 24 feet of hard surface to accommodate utilities and emergency vehicles. Commissioner Gordon Johnson said he would not oppose smaller lot acreage than a 2.5-acre standard if CRV’s engineer reviews the preliminary plat and determines the design meets sewer, water, street and other ordinance requirements.

Next steps outlined by the commission call for Bunke to have an engineer prepare a preliminary plat; Planning & Zoning will review the preliminary plat and then submit it to CRV engineer Derek Olinger for technical review and recommendation. Mayor Overland said Rebecca Charles of CEDA will explore potential grants and whether the CRV MIF fund could be used; Overland said he will raise the item at the April 15 council meeting. Planning & Zoning Administrator Jon Pettit said the commission can provide an opinion to the council and will update the council on the concept plan.

The motion to approve the concept plan was made by Commissioner Gordon Johnson and seconded by Commissioner Jesse McNamer; the motion carried. The commission also reported routine permit activity and adjourned at 6:43 p.m.

The project’s technical viability now hinges on the preliminary plat, soil/perk testing, and the CRV engineer’s recommendations; funding and whether the village will participate in utility extensions remain unresolved.