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City makes plans for 'Uithoven Addition'

Subhead
Fifteen twin homes offer 30 residences on west edge of town
Lead Summary
By
Lori Sorenson

At their Tuesday night meeting, Luverne City Council members approved plans and specifications to prepare the Uithoven Addition subdivision for future twin home development.
The city will seek bids from contractors to install 1,200 linear feet of sanitary sewer line, 2,000 feet of water main, 2,200 linear feet of curb and gutter and 1,200 tons of paving.
Plans also call for a retention basin to control storm water toward the south end of the development.
The future twin home subdivision is on the west edge of town on the south side of Dodge Street.
Preliminary drawings show a planned street that will go to the west, but it’s referred to as a “paper” street for future growth to the west that may or may not occur.
According to plans discussed at Tuesday’s meeting, all of the housing on all 15 lots of the Uithoven Addition will be twin homes — a total of 30 residences.
In his report to the council, City Administrator John Call said the location is ideal for a residential development.
“This beautiful rural-type housing area will be close to the Luverne Loop and the Luverne School complex,” Call said in his report.
Bids for the Uithoven Addition infrastructure work will be opened at 11 a.m. on April 17 in Luverne City Hall.
Once the lots are prepared (connected to city water, sewer, electric, etc.) this summer, the city intends to seek bids this fall from developers interested in building the twin homes next year.
 
Background
Responding to calls for needed residential property, the city has been investing in land acquisitions on the west side of Luverne south of Dodge Street.
•In September of 2016, the city purchased 18 acres from the Ed and Julie Mueller estate for $155,000.
•This piece is next to the 6.59-acre stretch along Poplar Creek in the Hawkinson Park area that the city bought in 2015 from the late Burdell Kruse for $80,000.
•In July 2017 the city purchased seven acres just north of Rock County Opportunities from the Good Samaritan Society for $133,500.
It was previously home to the Marcel Reisch farm and last year was developed into the start of North Walnut Street.
•In March of 2018, the city paid $170,000 for the Uithoven residence (two acres) and crews have worked over the past year to remove trees and structures to prepare it for development.
The city had considered extending Walnut Street from West Main Street to West Dodge through the Uithoven Addition.
But engineers recently determined that bridges and culverts would be too costly through this wetland area, which is better left untouched.
The stub street of Walnut Avenue on the south end near RCO will be developed to accommodate three residential lots.
With these combined parcels, the city owns more than 30 contiguous acres from West Main Street up to Dodge Street.
It’s where the Luverne Loop bike trail continues south from the school area along what will remain green space on each side of Poplar Creek.

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