Dirt work started Monday on the west edge of town to develop the Uithoven Addition into Luverne’s newest residential neighborhood.
At their July 9 meeting, City Council members completed zoning and platting requirements for the new housing subdivision addition along West Dodge Street.
The plat map approved at Tuesday’s meeting shows the area divided into 15 lots to be served by city streets and utilities (water, sewer, electric, and storm sewer).
The plat also shows 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 housing on all 15 lots will be twin homes — a total of 30 residences.
The council also took action to amend the zoning map in that neighborhood to include rezoning the Uithoven Addition from Residential Reserve (R-R) to Single Family Residential (R-1).
With the R-1 zoning designation, the lots can be used for either single-family houses or twin homes.
The EDA will market most of the lots as twin homes, but there are several lots on the northeast side that may be suited for large “walk-out” style single-family homes.
Henning Construction submitted the low bid at $851,744.15 for the project that calls for 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.
In a June 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,” he said.
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 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 determined that bridges and culverts would be too costly through the wetland area.
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.