The Crookston Plan Commission met on Tuesday in the council chambers at City Hall and made two recommendations to the City Council.
The commission discussed a proposal from Jeff Fagerstrom with the Northwest Minnesota Housing Cooperative (NMHC) regarding Parcel 82,03959.00, an outlot within the Lincoln School subdivision. The proposal would be to turn the 3.249-acre lot into an alleyway running through it and to separate out lots of the same width to be created adjacent to existing lots. Fagerstrom and NMHC reiterated that the proposed usage would not be for additional residential development. Mayor Dale Stainbrook questioned the need for an alley if all 12 outlots are not sold. Fagerstrom replied to Stainbrook, telling him that he has spoken to all 12 landowners adjacent to the parcel and indicated they all were interested in purchasing their adjoining lot.
The topic of creating an alley in the Lincoln School subdivision has been discussed by the city and NMHC multiple times, including at the January 16 Plan Commission meeting. City staff recommended the plan to the Plan Commission, and the Commission moved to recommend the NMHC plan for consideration at a future City Council meeting. With the commission’s recommendation, Fagerstrom will work to have the lot platted and to create the outlots for purchase. He expects to complete that process by the next City Council meeting at the soonest.
The final item discussed was a final draft of the “Embolden Crookston” comprehensive plan, developed by Joel Quanbeck and KLJ Engineering. The Embolden Crookston comprehensive plan would replace the city’s current plan, issued on March 14, 2016. Quanbeck presented a version of the final draft during the commission’s July 21 meeting and sought any additional questions from the commission.
City Staff recommended the final draft of the Plan Commission’s review, and the Commission moved to recommend the Embolden Crookston comprehensive plan to the City Council for action at a future meeting. Quanbeck is looking forward to bringing the Embolden Crookston plan to the city council and give the public another chance to make sure the plan reflects the future for Crookston. “It feels good, especially to just feel that people had a chance to read through the document and didn’t have any significant questions or concerns about it,” said Quanbeck. “So I think that means it’s had the due process and the opportunity for input that it needs, and looking forward to seeing it go to the council.”
