The Rock County Board of Adjustment granted a variance Monday night for the proposed construction of three cul-de-sacs in Luverne Township.
Dean Tofteland of Luverne is proposing construction of a rural residential subdivision for 20 lots of an acre or more in size.
He owns the 60 acres for the subdivision located east of Luverne along 111th Street between the Rock County Sportsman’s Club and the River Road Campground.
The requested variance allows Tofteland, in consultation with DGR Engineering of Rock Rapids, to exceed the city of Luverne’s building code that restricts cul-de-sacs to 500 feet long.
The area is divided in half by the Christopher Ashby Memorial Recreation Trail and is bordered by the railroad tracks to the north. Due to this topography, putting in longer streets to the cul-de-sac bulbs minimizes grading of the area and the removal of existing trees.
Tofteland’s proposed layout of the 20 rural residential lots provides for access streets extending 807, 619 and 560 feet from the gravel road.
The board unanimously approved of the variance, which will now go to the county commissioners for final approval.
More than 20 people attended the public hearing with questions that fell outside the variance in question.
Land Management Director Eric Hartman explained to those in attendance that the project will undergo several additional steps that will allow more public input and answer more questions about the proposed rural subdivision.
As stipulations to the variance, Tofteland’s project must be reviewed and approved by the city of Luverne along with design approval from the Luverne Fire Department.
Hartman also stated that the project will undergo another public hearing to rezone the current agricultural land to residential before the project can proceed to the construction stage.
No date has been set for the rezoning hearing.