CY57-25

Request of Mankato Area Public Schools for an amended preliminary plat and final plat review of Mankato West High School Subdivision. The subject property is described as being located in the Southeast Quarter of Section 13, Township 108, Range 27, Blue Earth County, City of Mankato (West High School, 1351 S. Riverfront Drive).

The anticipated date of City Council action is December 8, 2025. 

The applicant is Mankato Area Public Schools. 

The applicant is requesting review of an amended preliminary plat and final plat review of Mankato West High School Subdivision. 

The subject property is described as being located in the Southeast Quarter of Section 13, Township 108, Range 27, Blue Earth County, City of Mankato (West High School, 1351 S. Riverfront Drive). 

The property is currently used as a school. The City's Land Use Plan designates this area as Public-Semi Public. 

The property is zoned R-1, One Family Dwelling District. 

A wetland delineation has been conducted on the site and the extent and boundary of the wetland on the southerly parcel is reflected on the plat. 

The property is currently served by public utilities. 

Mankato City Code related to Subdivision and Platting can be found at this link: https://library.municode.com/mn/mankato/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_CH10LAUSDE_ARTXIISUDEREPL 

The Site Plan and Traffic Advisory Committee reviewed the item at their November 4, 2025 meeting and provided the following comments, and the applicant's responses are included. 

1. The applicant shall provide signed consent for access from the YMCA. Applicant's response: Acknowledged. This is being prepared and will be provided once complete. 
2. The applicant shall revise the proposed Sanitary Sewer Easement “A” to provide a total width of 30 feet, with 15 feet lying on each side of the existing sanitary sewer main. Applicant's response: Change has been made. Please see revised easement. 
3. The applicant shall provide the easement documents for the proposed private easements on the property. Applicant's response: Acknowledged. This is being prepared and will be provided once complete. 
4. Notification fees shall be paid in the online portal if not already done. Applicant's response: Notification fees will be paid. 

The applicant is seeking an amended preliminary plat review and the final plat review of Mankato West Subdivision. 

The preliminary plat was reviewed by the planning commission on August 27, 2025, and subsequently by the City Council on September 8, 2025. The recommended conditions of approval for the initial review are included as follows: 

1. The applicant shall be a willing petitioner when any intersection improvements are proposed on adjacent roads. 
2. The applicant shall obtain a cross-access agreement with the adjacent parcel (YMCA).
3. The applicant shall grant the City an easement for all existing storm and sanitary over the parcel between Riverfront Drive and Pleasant Street. 

As a result of the applicant working through the initial conditions of approval associated with the preliminary plat, an amendment to the previously approved preliminary plat is being sought with this request along with the final plat.

The revised preliminary and final plats still include 2 blocks, Block 1 and Block 2, each having one lot, and the plat now includes an outlot. 

Lot 1, Block 1, is located between South Riverfront Drive and West Pleasant Street and is unchanged from the original approval. The lot encompasses 24.96 acres and contains the high school building, parking areas, and athletic facilities. 

Lot 1, Block 2, is located south of West Pleasant Street and contains parking and athletic fields. With the revision, the lot size decreased from the original 24.21 acres to 6.96 acres because the wetland areas were removed from this Lot. 

Outlot A, an area containing 17.25 acres, is new on the revised plat. The outlot is over the wetland areas and is designated as such as a result of the area receiving public storm water. 

The applicant will be dedicating the northern portion of the property as South Riverfront Drive. This will relocate the property line south of the existing sidewalk which is currently located within an easement. Additionally, a small triangular parcel located along Stoltman Road will be dedicated to the public. 

The extent of adjacent street/road/intersection improvements is currently unknown for dedication with this current platting process. Adjacent intersections have been studied in Mankato Area Planning Organization transportation documents. The Riverfront Drive and CSAH 16 (Stoltman Road) Intersection Control Evaluation study was completed in November 2024 and an Intersection Control Evaluation study at Stoltzman Road and Pleasant Street was complete in October 2017. A recommended condition is included herein that the applicant shall be a willing petitioner when/if any intersection improvements are proposed on adjacent roads. 

Access to the site will continue to be provided via Riverfront Drive, Stoltzman Road, and Pleasant Street. A shared access agreement will be required with the adjacent YMCA property to formalize cross-access. Any additional or modified access points will be subject to review and approval by the Minnesota Department of Transportation, Blue Earth County, and the City of Mankato.

The amended preliminary plat and final plat identifies and clarifies the location, ownership and establishment of easements for private and public utilities.

Lot 1, Block 1 contains a sanitary line that is located on the westerly side of the parcel. With the amended preliminary plat, this sanitary line has been clarified as being a City/public line and a new, 30' private easement between the city and the school will be established over the line.

Within this lot, there is also a City/public sanitary line that runs centrally on the site under the tennis court area. The line is believed to be approximately 21' deep, and a 30' private easement between the school and the city is proposed. 

Lot 1, Block 1 also contains several City/public storm lines located on the easterly side (Stoltzman Road) that are not in an existing easement. New 20', private easements between the city and school are proposed to be established over each of these locations. 

Lot 1, Block 2 and the newly proposed outlot in the southern parcel/area contain areas that receive public drainage, which continues through the entirety of the wetland on the southern portion of the parcel. For this reason, Outlot A has been established. Additionally, there is a physical storm line/structure that is a City line on the subject parcels that a private city/school easement will be established to address. 

A recommended condition of approval is that, prior to or in conjunction with affixing signatures on the final plat, these private easement documents will be in place. 

A recommended condition of approval is included herein that, at the end of the current construction projects, the school will provide the city with an as-built plan identifying the location of all private utility lines on the site. 

Staff submits the following findings: 

1. General Requirements
   1. The site is designed in conformance with the existing location and widths of streets, the general drainage situation, lot sizes and arrangement. 
   2. A drainage study was submitted and is in compliance with the City drainage requirements. 
2. Streets
   1. The street right-of-way widths conform to the standards listed in Chapter 10 of Mankato City Code. 
3. Easements
   1. The preliminary plat provides standard easements required in Chapter 10 of the Mankato City Code. 
   2. Private easements will also be provided over existing City utilities that traverse the site. 
4. Block Standards
   1. The blocks within the subdivision were designed around the existing corridors. 
5. Lot Standards
   1.  The lots are designed in conformance with the standards set forth in Chapter 10. 
6. Public Sites and Open Spaces
   1. The applicant will not be making a payment in lieu of parkland dedication because the site provides public open spaces. The Parks and Open Space Plan does not show that a park is needed within this subdivision. The site provides public amenities such as ballfields and open areas.

Staff recommends approval of the Mankato West High School preliminary plat with the following conditions: 

1. Prior to, or in conjunction with, affixing the signatures on the final plat, private easements will be executed and recorded for the existing City/public infracture on the subject parcels. 
2. At the end of the current improvement projects on the subject site, the property owner will provide the City with an as-built plan identifying the location of all private utility lines on the subject site. 
3. The applicant shall be a willing petitioner when any intersection improvements are proposed on adjacent roads. 
4. The applicant shall obtain a cross-access agreement with the adjacent parcel (YMCA) and this shall be in place prior to or in conjunction with affixing the signatures on the final plat. 
5. The applicant shall provide any applicable deed/conveyance for the transfer of the public ways that are dedicated within the plat. 

Based on conformance with the recommended conditions of the preliminary plat, staff recommends approval of the Mankato West High School Subdivision final plat.