Set August 11, 2025, as the date of the public hearing to review a request for rezoning of properties from P-I, Planned Industrial, to R-3, Limited Multiple Dwelling District (Lot 4, Block 10; Lots 1-2, Block 9; Lots 9-16, Block 7; Lots 1-8, Block 8; Columbia Park Addition;  Lots 1-6, Block 24, Germania Park Addition); by request of Fisher Development.

At the June 25, 2025, meeting, the Planning Commission recommended the City Council set the date of hearing to review the proposed rezoning.

Fisher Development, with permission of the property owner, is requesting to set July 28, 2025, as the date of hearing to review the rezoning of properties located on 8th Avenue from P-I, Planned Industrial, to R-3, Limited Multiple Dwelling District. The subject properties are described as Columbia Park Add, Lot 4, Block 10; Columbia Park Add Lots 1,2, Block 9; Columbia Park Add Lots 9-16, Block 7; Columbia Park Add Lots 1-8, Block 8; Germania Park Add Lots 1-6, Block 24, City of Mankato (PID's R010906331009, R010906184004, R010906180008, etal.).

The rezoning request is consistent with the adjacent neighborhood to the east of the subject site, which is also zoned R-3. Properties used for residential purposes are located just to the north and south of the subject site and those properties maintain the P-I, Planned Industrial, zoning designation and will do so until such a time as those property owners seek a rezoning of the subject properties. The property located to the west of the subject site, the former quarry, is zoned M-2, Heavy Industrial.  

The proposed rezoning is in keeping with the recently amended land use plan for the area. On May 12, 2025, the Mankato City Council adopted a Land Use Plan amendment that changed the guided land use of the subject properties from Light Industrial to Medium Density Residential to allow for the construction of single-family dwellings, either attached or detached. The Council approval incorporated findings from the Jefferson Quarry Redevelopment Plan, which was a small area plan developed and adopted on September 11, 2023, for guidance in the redevelopment of the Jefferson quarry area. 

While the street is currently unpaved and the lots are not served by public utilities, the subject properties are proposed to be served by public utilities through the Germania Park Phase 5 Capital Improvement Plan project. A recommended condition is included herein that development on the subject parcels, including the issuance of any building permits, will be considered only after the street is complete, and the public utility infrastructure has been installed. 

The Land Use Plan Amendment was adopted with the following conditions, and those conditions, with slight modifications for this request, are also recommended in the consideration for rezoning of the subject parcels. 

1. At the time of any subsequent future zoning requests for the development area, a more in-depth traffic study shall be provided at the time of application submission to assess the need for intersection geometry or traffic control improvements associated with the subject development.
2. The design of the structures in the area shall be thoughtfully integrated into the existing neighborhood and shall provide high-quality design standards.
3. Prior to future development, the applicant will be required to seek rezoning for the subject parcels, as well as any required zoning approvals for the proposed development.
4. The site development shall provide a multi-modal connectivity plan for the site. The plan shall include a future pedestrian connection from the neighborhood into the quarry.
5. Any future changes to the street network included in the traffic memorandum, such as modifications to Cleveland, Harper or Lind, will require a re-evaluation of the traffic impact information provided. Any costs associated with said changes and study updates will be those of the applicant or successors.