The Crookston Planning Commission met on Tuesday evening with just one item on its agenda, the rezoning of commercial (C-2), farm residence (FR) and multi-family (R3) zoned property with the Nature View Plat 5 and natural park area to single- and two-family (R-2).
The Planning Commission had previously discussed that rezoning everything with the full Nature View Estates development that was currently developed or in the process of development should be zoned similarly. Crookston Building Official Greg Hefta said it made sense to try to keep it all R-2 throughout Nature View Estates. “The Nature View Estates previous plat developments kind of led us to an R-2 type zone,” said Hefta. “It just followed through that we tried to keep it the same all the way through. We had to change a Commercial, Farm Residence and an R-3 (zone) to an R-2. It really just was consistent with the overall plan of the plat.”
With the rezoning, all aspects of the Nature View Estates have successfully passed through the Planning Commission. The only outstanding item related to the development is the vacation of the gravel portion of Eickhof Blvd, which Hefta explains requires a City Council resolution with seven votes per Section 11.06 of the City Charter. “Everything as far as Nature View Plat 5 has been approved,” said Hefta. “The street vacation does need to be approved through the City Council. But the Planning Commission should be good to go as far as Nature View Plat 5.”
The resolution to vacate the portion of Eickhof Blvd can’t be presented to the council currently because there are only six council members at present. There was also a discussion about the purchasing of residential lots, or half lots for garage or shed structures. Bob Herkenhoff said he received several calls from people in Nature View Estates asking why they couldn’t buy a half lot for a shed, but someone could for the Carmen development in the south end of town. Interim City Administrator Angel Weasner said the city has a development agreement for Nature View that says one lot, one house and that Carmen View Development had infrastructure installed 10 years prior, so the developer’s agreement was outdated and there had been issues selling lots.
Acting Mayor Dale Stainbrook said he was caught off guard by the sale of a half lot to the house that had just been built in Carmen View for the purpose of an auxiliary building. Adding he didn’t like the idea of selling a half lot for garages and that those lots were “good-sized” as they were. Crookston Housing and Economic Development Authority Director echoed Weasner’s comments adding that the city wasn’t anticipating that sale to happen, but in retrospect, given the time the lots have sat unsold the city can’t blame the sale for happening either.
Hefta said ultimately the goal when planning a development and installing infrastructure is for houses to be built, but consideration can be taken into effect when there are issues or problems with selling lots. “Sheds are an interesting thing,” said Hefta. “When it comes to it we want to maximize our utilities when we have a new development. When your having issues or problems developing in an existing area or nothing sells it kind of comes into consideration. But, in general, the intent is to use the lot for one primary house and either an attached or garage associated with that residence and associated with the lot that was purchased.”
