News: Planning commission recommends denial
The Rochester Township planning and zoning commission voted 2-1 to reject a preliminary plat proposal Tuesday night.
Post Bulletin, June 15, 2022 01:00 AM, by John Molseed
The Rochester Township’s planning and zoning commission denied recommending a preliminary plat design for a proposed housing development at the site of a great blue heron nest colony.
Despite the denial in a 2 to 1 vote, final approval of the design is still up to the Rochester Township Board. They meet July 14 to take up the issue
Rochester Township Planning Commission says no to Pavillion Estates' preliminary plat
KIMT News 3, June 14, 2022, by Alek LaShomb
In a seemingly last minute decision, The Rochester Township Planning Commission voted yes to deny International Properties LLC's Pavilion Estates' preliminary plat. Tuesday's meeting stretched on for nearly four hours and included a public comment portion, as local group 'Save the Rookery' pleaded the commission to deny the plat.
Rochester Township [planning & zoning commission] denies development over rookery
ABC 6 News, June 15, 2022, 6:20 PM, by Mackenzie Davis
The Rochester township's planning and zoning board has denied the development threatening a blue heron nesting site. The development calls for ten homes to be built on the land, but the "Save the Rookery" group hopes they can meet in the middle with the developer.
"We would be happy to see any kind of compromise, even if it is only one house what would be ideal would be for the developer to come back and say we'll leave maybe four lots at the end for wildlife for the woods and for drainage that's going into cascade creek which will be a problem," said National Geographic Photographer, Michael Melford.
Great Blue Heron in Rochester, Minnesota, last year. Photo by Lynn Cornell