Council approves concept for Bortnem property split, contingent on perc testing

The Heidelberg City Council on March 9 approved, by unanimous vote, a conceptual plan for a proposed property split of Parcel 17.019.3200, known in the record as the Bortnem property. The approval permits the applicant to proceed with required percolation (perc) testing and does not authorize any final land division until all city requirements are satisfied.

Under the concept presented to the council, the proposal identified up to three potential buildable sites across Parcels 2 and 3, contingent on meeting the city’s minimum buildable-site standard of 2.5 acres and providing sufficient area for both a primary and replacement sewage treatment system. According to the record, the person presenting the inquiry said they were not the landowner and sought council guidance before filing a formal land-split application; the council approved the concept as presented and instructed that formal application follow the required testing and compliance steps.

Mayor Kevin Zvanovec and council members emphasized that city regulations must be met before any platting or permits are issued. The council’s action was procedural: it cleared the concept for next steps, explicitly conditioned on a successful perc test and full compliance with local ordinances concerning minimum lot sizes and sewage system placement.

The council did not record individual roll-call votes in the minutes beyond noting the motion carried unanimously; the minutes state the motion was made and carried with all council members voting in favor. No amendments to the concept were recorded. The next procedural steps for the applicant are to complete the perc test, submit a formal land-split application, and demonstrate compliance with the city’s zoning and septic requirements before staff or the council will consider final approval.