Caledonia Argus

Council approves preliminary plat for new subdivision

Posted: 7/8/03

by Jane Palen
Managing editor

In a special meeting Monday evening, the city council gave its approval to phase I of a preliminary plat for a new subdivision.

It took four hours for the council and the developers to work out details of the agreement, which is still subject to a public hearing once the final plat is submitted for approval.

Developers in the Doering Estates project are Gary Becker, Steve Bauer and Don Robley, who are developing a 32-acre parcel for new homes west of Highway 44 and northeast of the new middle/high school. The land was purchased from Harley Doering. The first phase of the project calls for a total of 44 lots to be developed. The second phase, which has not been submitted for approval, will have a total of 28 lots. The average size of the lots in phase I is about 16,000 sq. ft.

Under the agreement hammered out with the city, the developers agreed to require homeowners to put in sidewalks once 80 percent of the homes in the first phase of the development are built, or within three years. Sidewalks will be put in on both sides of the street.

The city has agreed to pay for 12 water hydrants at an approximate cost of $2,500 each, not to exceed $30,000. The developers agreed to give to the city a 60 ft. right of way through one of the lots. In the event that Warrior Avenue is extended one day, the city would put in a street to connect the development with Warrior Avenue.

In regard to a lift station that will be required in the first phase of the project, the developers indicated that if the city was not willing to share in the cost, they would put in only what they need for their purposes.

The developers agreed to 6-ft. utility easements on the side yards of the lots.

Green space was an issue that was discussed at length at Mondayís meeting, with the developers reluctant to give the city an entire lot to designate as green space. It was agreed that the area around the lift station that will be built could be designated as green space.

Under the city ordinance, developers are required to set aside land for a park, or pay the city a sum of money equivalent to the value of the land which would have been set aside.

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