Letter: Thiede states Langdon stance

I just wanted to clearly state my position on the Gold’s Gym proposal as I don’t think it was clear in the June 11 article titled “Gold’s Gym developers offer to do the heavy lifting.”

I believe in good planning. I support development in the Langdon area — in fact I am a strong proponent of putting a mixed-use development in that entire area with professional office buildings and higher density housing and retail along with the plan to have the transit center there that will eventually be our connection to the Red Rock rail. I support working with 3M and the county to change 100th Street so that Cottage Grove can increase the usability of that area. I welcome Anxon’s willingness to pay for water and sewage extension.

The primary reason that area was listed in the third stage of development in the proposed Comprehensive Plan was that it did not have city water and sewage. Another concern for earlier development was that the Red Rock rail will not be developed for a number of years and if that area is opened to development then the opportunity to put the transit center there might be lost without proper planning.

The reason I voted against the motion was that the motion was only changing the staging for that one site and not that whole area, which potentially leaves the Gold’s Gym on a dead end street for many years by itself. If the motion included changing the entire area to a Level 1 staging and stated that there be a preliminary plan for the area, very similar to the East Ravine Plan, and therefore making sure that the design of the extension of the water and sewage line took that preliminary plan into consideration, I would have voted for the motion. Anxon actually showed they had started a preliminary plan that looked good, so that process would already be started.

Dave Thiede

Cottage Grove

Tags: opinion, golds, gym, proposal