COTTAGE GROVE, Minn. — The Cottage Grove City Council approved a plan Wednesday night to build hundreds of new homes along the Mississippi River.
Council members listened to testimony from concerned residents and the developer for more than three hours, but ultimately made the unanimous decision around 10:30 p.m.
Rachel Development is based in St. Michael and last month, got unanimous approval from the city's planning commission to move ahead with a proposal to build 377 new homes on the former Mississippi Dunes Golf Course. Some of those homes would be built adjacent to the river.
That area is part of the National Park System and it's also next to the Grey Cloud Dunes Scientific and Natural Area (SNA).
Since last month, about 1,200 concerned citizens have signed a petition against the project, including Lisa Mueller. "This place still jumps off the map in terms of being worthy of protection," said Mueller. "It’s a very special place."
The ecologist turned co-founder of the group, Friends of Grey Cloud, are fighting to protect the land. It's about 125 acres that experts say is one the last remaining biological diverse sites in the county.
"We have gotten the distinct impression that no one is listening to us," said Mueller.
It's home to state-threatened birds and insects, including a particular sparrow and bumblebee that even The United States Department of the Interior says the current plans don't protect parts of the river. A spokesperson laid out its concerns in a letter to the city just last week.
"It's tantamount to complete destruction," said Mueller.
This is the second time in the last few years that a developer has tried to build on the old golf course.
The developer didn't respond to KARE 11's multiple requests for an interview, but said at the council meeting it has added land back into the SNA, more trail connections and a variety of home price points. It also said it is building fewer homes than the last developer proposed.
The mayor also said he wouldn't make a statement to KARE 11 until the council voted on the issue.
Part of this area also has Native American significance because it was one of two spots in the area where Dakota people settled. The developer says it did complete an archaeological dig, but there are also specific state statutes it has to follow. It's unclear if that has happened at this point in the process.
Watch more local news:
Watch the latest local news from the Twin Cities and across Minnesota in our YouTube playlist: