At the Monday, Oct. 23 Cottage Grove Planning Commission meeting, city staff presented their Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for the next five years, from 2024-2028. The CIP is a planning document that is used to foresee what improvements are expected in the next five years. The goal of the CIP is to estimate the city’s capital needs and how they intend to finance them. CIP projects include public facilities, parks, streets, and utility projects.

The staff presentation to the Planning Commission included a breakdown over the next five years, by category, date, location, project, and cost.

Public Facilities:

2024:

• A new Utilities and Engineering Building, located at 110^th Street South and Ideal Avenue South. The project will go out to bid in the coming months, with construction taking place throughout 2024 and an expected completion in the fall of 2024. Cost: $13,250,000
• Ice Arena upgrades, including replacement of solar panels, party lights, and updates to the water treatment system. Cost: $680,000

2025:

• Public Works shop and wash bay remodel. Utilities will be moving out of the current public works building to the new facility. There will be a remodel on the shop and wash bay areas of the current facility. Cost: $500,000.
• Ice Arena radiant heater replacement. Cost: $35,000

2026:

Ice Arena locker room furnace. Cost: $10,000

2027:

Ice Arena Zamboni replacement. Cost: $120,000

2028:

Ice Arena dehumidifier replacement. Cost: $200,000

New Parks & Improvements:

2024:

• Belden Park – new backstop, Cost: $30,000
• West Draw Bike Park track improvements. Cost: $50,000
• Hearthside Park improvements (with the Pavement Management project, as they will already working in the area). Cost: $100,000
• Jack and Marlys Denzer Park, near the newly-constructed 105^th Street South. Cost: $500,000
• Military Trailhead. Cost: $200,000
• Oltman Middle School Lacrosse Complex design and construction, including parking facilities. Cost: $700,000 (partially grant-funded)
• West Draw, Granada, and Nina Park playground equipment replacement. Cost: $210,000
• Woodridge Park tennis, basketball, and ice rink lighting improvements. Cost: $113,000

2025:

• Hamlet Park improvements, funded by the Local Option Sales Tax initiative (LOST). Constructing two additional ball fields and parking lots. Cost: $17 million
• Hardwood & Belden Park playground equipment replacement. Cost: $140,000
• Hearthside Park ice rink lighting improvements. Cost: $65,000
• Kingston Park building replacement, a partnership with the Cottage Grove Lions Club, which has been prioritized for replacement. Cost: $600,000
• Lamar Park shade shelter replacement. Cost: $80,000
• Oltman Middle School Lacrosse Complex construction. Cost: $2,300,000
• Pine Glen Park picnic shelter. Cost: $40,000
• Still Ponds neighborhood park development in the northwest corner of the city near the Hawthorne development. Cost: $500,000
• Roberts Lake neighborhood park development on the north side of town, west of Jamaica Avenue. Cost: $500,000

2026:

• East Ravine neighborhood/110^th Street park development (development-driven project). Cost: $500,000 (through Park Trust Fund)
• Hamlet Skate Park surface replacement and sports lighting improvements. Cost: $455,000
• Mississippi Dunes Golf Course Neighborhood Park development, located at the southern end of the golf course property, acquired earlier this year by the city. Cost: $13 million (funded through LOST)
• Hillside/Jergen Trail project (with 2026 Pavement Management). Cost: $75,000
• Woodridge ice rink boards replacement. Cost: $50,000

2027:

• East Ravine neighborhood/110^th Street park development (development-driven project). Cost: $500,000 (through Park Trust Fund)
• Hamlet Park shelter replacement. Cost: $50,000
• Lamar Park roof replacement. Cost: $10,000
• Lamar Park LED and pole improvements. Cost: $350,000
• Pine Coulee Court replacement. Cost: $20,000
• River Oaks Golf Course improvements. Cost: $6,000,000 (funded through LOST)

2028:

• Archery Range shelter and trail (with 2028 Pavement Management). Cost: $70,000
• East Ravine neighborhood/110^th Street park development (development-driven project). Cost: $500,000 (through Park Trust Fund)
• Highlands Park tennis court replacement. Cost: $100,000
• Old Cottage Grove Park sports lighting replacement. Cost: $35,000
• Peter Thompson Park upgrades, including roof, rink and rink board replacement. Cost: $115,000

Streets projects:

2024:

• 65^th Street South trail construction on the south side of the road between Meadowgrass Avenue South and Hadley Avenue South. Cost: $271,000 (Primarily funded by a Safe Routes To School grant from Washington County)
• Pavement Management projects: Thompson Grove neighborhood, including spot curb replacement, minor utility repairs and full pavement replacement. Prestige Estates neighborhood, including full curb replacement and minor utility improvements. Jamaica Avenue South, between 80^th Street South and 90^th Street South, pavement rehabilitation and minor utility repairs. Cost: $6,156,000
• South District street and utility project. Located near Hadley Avenue South, between 100^th Street South and 105^th Street South, including street surface, lighting, landscaping, and pedestrian facilities. Cost: $5,250,000
• East Point Douglas Road South and Jamaica Avenue South intersection improvements. Finishes the final phase with the construction of a roundabout in front of Target and Cub Foods, and fully reconstructing the road to the southeast of the roundabout, including lighting. Cost: $4,907,000
• Ravine Parkway. Continuing the road through the Wolterstorff property west of Jamaica Avenue South, to be constructed if warranted by development. Cost: $2 million
• River Oaks Golf Course and Highway 61 intersection, creating a restriction-crossing U-turn (RCUT) to create more safety for drivers exiting the golf course and turning north onto the highway, to minimize the risk of T-bone crashes. Cost: $1,210,000 ($1,010,000 from state grants)

 2025:

• Pavement Management projects: Thompson Grove second edition neighborhood and Kingsborough Trail, including spot curb replacement, full pavement replacement, and minor utility work. Cost: $4,745,000
• Ravine Parkway (continuation through the Kemp Property, development-driven). Cost: $2,000,000
• Ravine Parkway (Cottage View), beginning Phase 1 construction of the Shoppes at Cottage View near Walmart. Cost: $5,325,000 ($3 million of which is from a federal grant)

2026:

• Ravine Parkway (Cottage View) Phase 2 of Shoppes at Cottage View, constructing roundabout and continuation to Keats Avenue South. Cost: $4,021,000
• Pavement Management projects: Pine Glen, Meadow Acres, and Cottage Grove Estates on the west side of town, as well as Woodridge Park in central Cottage Grove, including spot curb replacement, minor utility repairs, and full pavement replacement. Cost: $5,436,000
• 80^th Street South reconstruction from Ideal Avenue South to Highway 61. Full street reconstruction, curb and gutter replacement, minor utility repairs, signal upgrades, and possible lane reconfiguration. Cost: $10 million ($5 million of which is from federal grants)
• 80^th Street South and Keats Avenue South roundabout improvements. Cost: $1 million (cost-share project with Washington County)
• Ravine Parkway (continuation through the Geis Property, development-driven). Cost: $2,000,000

2027:

• Pavement Management, Thompson Grove Estates 11 & 12 and Woodridge Park addition. Cost: $4,021,000
• Ravine Parkway, Shoppes at Cottage View Phase 3. Cost: $1,235,000
• Harkness Avenue South, Oakwood Park/Hardwood Avenue intersection. Cost: $3,162,000
• Ravine Parkway (continuation through the Tank Property, development-driven). Cost: $2 million

2028:

• Pavement Management, Thompson Grove and Pinegrove neighborhoods. Cost: $2,770,200
• Jamaica Avenue South reconstruction from 70^th Street South to Military Road, a rapidly growing area. Cost: $3 million (led by Washington County in a cost-share agreement)
• Ravine Parkway (continuation through the Tank Property, development-driven). Cost: $2 million
• Pedestrian crossing infrastructure. Cost: $250,000
• Reconstruction of railroad bridge at 103^rd Street underpass near Mississippi Dunes. Cost: $8 million
• Realignment of bridge at the CSAH 19 overpass and Highway 61 to better align with the future 100^th Street South project. Cost: $22,900,000
• County 19A/100^th Street South realignment to relieve traffic on existing highway intersections, providing access at 100^th Street South, as well as constructing a bridge over the railroad tracks, creating a corridor for truck traffic. A partnership project with the State of Minnesota and Washington County, mostly funded by grants. Construction is expected in 2026 and 2027. Cost: $43,000,000

Utility Projects through 2028:

• Stormwater maintenance. Cost: $200,000 annually
• Well maintenance. Cost: $70,000 annually
• Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) improvements, 2024. Cost: $1,035,000
• Low Zone Water Treatment Plant and Well 13, 2024-2025. Cost: $42,901,000 (funded by 3M settlement)
• Intermediate Zone Treatment Plant, 2025-2026. Cost: $75,000,000 (funded by 3M settlement)
• Industrial Park Water Tower construction, 2025. Cost $7,500,000 (paid through the Area Fund)
• Pine Hill Water Tower painting, 2027. Cost: $700,000
• Well 1, Well 2, and Temp Treatment Plant decommissioning, 2027. Cost: $5 million (funded by 3M settlement)
• Sewer Maintenance. Cost: $50,000 annually
• Line Trunk Sewer from Jamaica Avenue South and East Point Douglas Road South through the dog park, 2024-2025. Cost: $1 million
• Streetlight improvements. Cost: $100,000 annually
• Traffic signals at Hardwood Avenue South/Hardwood Court, 2024. Cost: $700,000
• Traffic signals at 80^th Street South/Jamaica Avenue South and Keats Ave South/Indian Boulevard South, 2025. Cost: $1,400,000

Commissioner Derek Rasmussen motioned to approve the 2024-2028 CIP, which was seconded by Commissioner Eric Knable. The Planning Commission passed the motion 7-0. The measure passes to the Cotta