HomeMy WebLinkAbout07N Encroachment Agreement – 8461 East Point Douglas Road TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
Jennifer Levitt, City Administrator
FROM: Matt Wolf, Assistant to the City Administrator
DATE: December 15, 2021
RE: Encroachment Agreement – 8461 East Point Douglas Road
Background
As part of the 2020 Façade Improvement Program Application, the property owner of the multi-
tenant commercial building called Jamaica Square (8461 East Point Douglas Road) applied to
the program with a project that included the installation of a new monument sign for $15,775. As
part of the 2019 Façade Improvement Program the Jamaica Square applied but their project did
not receive funding. After the 2019 program was closed the owner inquired what would make
their application more viable for approval. At that time, it was indicated to the owner that he
needed to repair his parking lot and install a new monument sign to bring more visual appeal to
the businesses at Jamaica Square to improve the application. The old Blockbuster pylon sign
would also need to be removed as part of the new monument signs installation. All those items
were included in the owner’s 2020 Façade Improvement Application, which was approved by the
Economic Development Authority at their June 9, 2020 meeting by a vote of 7-to-0 and the City
Council at their meeting on June 6, 2020 by a vote of 5-to-0.
Discussion
In discussing the installation of the monument sign as part of the application that was approved,
the property owner of 8461 East Point Douglas Road had concerns of the ability for traffic to see
the sign off Jamaica Avenue. The City worked with the building owner in order to determine a
location that provided the best visibility but resulted in minimal tree removal. Based on that criteria
the parties believe the best possible location for the sign would be on the edge of the property
line within the Jamaica Avenue right-of-way (see Figure 1). The installation of the sign within the
right-of-way would require an encroachment agreement.
The sign construction must meet the following criteria as laid out in the Encroachment Agreement:
(a) Remove the existing pylon sign that is on the Landowner Property that is no longer in
use;
(b) Install landscaping around Landowner’s Improvements that is consistent with the
landscaping found along other business properties on Jamaica Avenue;
Honorable Mayor, City Council, and Jennifer Levitt
Encroachment Agreement – 8461 East Point Douglas Road
December 15, 2020
Page 2 of 3
(c) Any tree removal that is requested by the Landowner within the Jamaica Avenue right
of way (before, during or after the Landowner’s Improvements are constructed) shall be
approved at the sole discretion of the City; and
(d) The Landowner’s Improvements shall meet all of the City Code requirements found in
Code 9-8-6 regulating Signs in the Business District.
The landowner also, at its own expense, maintain and repair the Landowner’s Improvements,
including the landscaping. Per the Façade Improvement Program, the owner has until September
1, 2021 to complete the improvements and construct the monument sign.
Recommendation
Approve the Encroachment Agreement between the Landowner at 8461 East Point Douglas Road
South and the City of Cottage Grove.
Attachments
Figure 2 Location of encroachment for construction of the monument sign for the multi-tenant commercial building at
8461 East Point Douglas.
Figure 1 Proposed location of the monument sign to be constructed by the landowner at 8461 East Point Douglas
Road.
Honorable Mayor, City Council, and Jennifer Levitt
Encroachment Agreement – 8461 East Point Douglas Road
December 15, 2020
Page 3 of 3
A. Encroachment Agreement – Agreement Relating to Landowner Improvements on 8461
East Point Douglas Road South in the City of Cottage Grove, Washington County,
Minnesota