Commercialization in Sartell hits hard for residents who refuse to sell to developers

SARTELL — Jim and Diane Braegelman have been living in their home on River Oaks Lane since 1974.

What used to be a heavily wooded area near the bank of the Mississippi River and across the way from Minnesota Highway 15 is now largely flat, their neighbors' homes and trees razed to make way for commercial development.

For the Braegelmans, who refused to sell their home to developers, the past year has been a whirlwind of anxiety about the future of their neighborhood and their overall livelihood.

The couple have attended every Sartell city council meeting since May, even if the development was not on the agenda, to share their concerns with city officials. Although they've come to accept what the future may hold, their journey hasn't been easy.

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Balancing property owner rights

In October, the city council approved the final preliminary plat of Sartell River Crossings, LLC for seven commercial lots along River Oaks Lane in Le Sauk Township and Sartell. Years ago the area was rezoned to allow for commercial development.

Five of the Braegelmans' neighbors sold their homes to the developer, and the other five chose not to sell, Jim said.

The commercial developer who now owns much of the land at the end of the neighborhood has not submitted plans to the city about what will be built there, but there's talk about building a new car wash right next to the Braegelmans' house.

Sartell mayor Ryan Fitzthum said if that were the case the city council would have to approve a conditional use permit, as well as consider the impact of noise levels, traffic, lighting and dumpster locations on neighboring residents.

"One of the items that always rings true for me is property owner rights — the right of an individual property owner for their property," Fitzthum said. "And this is a great example of that."

Fitzthum said there have been some parcels on River Oaks Lane that have been for sale since he was a kid. Balancing the rights of developers and the rights of property owners, while also supporting Sartell's growth, is a challenge for the council, he said.

"The developer approached property owners individually and sought to buy their property, and some they negotiated a deal with and some they didn't," Fitzthum said. "And so you now have this area of property that a developer came in and purchased. They as a developer have rights to develop that out, as long as it conforms with city guidelines and regulations, which it does."

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Consumed by anxiety

Diane Braegelman said not knowing what will be built next door, and if it will be a car wash, is an all-consuming anxiety. At the end of September, she watched construction workers cut down trees at the end of her block for eight days straight and often woke up to the drone of saws.

"It looks like a bomb dropped," she said. "And they make a bad sound when they fall. It made me want to cry a couple of times."

The couple's anger has diminished as the reality of development has set in, but now Diane said she worries the drone of construction will soon be replaced by the whir of car wash dryers, which she says will make it impossible to entertain guests and enjoy  the home they've built together.

"I wake up at night having nightmares about this," Jim said.

He said it's hard to see huge mounds of dirt, leftover rocks and weeds on land still standing undeveloped near the Walmart down the road. The couple said they're worried the same thing will happen to their neighborhood, making the change even harder to bear.

"This was put upon us. We didn't ask for this. We were here first, and we've been here for 47 years," Jim said. "We came here because it was a nice place, and it was peaceful, it was beautiful, it was close to all the things we were wanted to be close to — shopping, church, schools, work, hospital … so we thought, 'This is a nice place to stay.' And it was, for that long. But now it's changed."

Nicole Hanke moved into the neighborhood in April with her husband and two young children knowing this development would take place. She chose the house based on its proximity to the river and city, and for scenic views in the backyard.

Hanke said she didn't realize so many trees next to her property would be cut down, nor that a car wash may be considered across the street. She said she feels like the city council has dismissed the Braegelmans' concerns and wishes they would put themselves in their shoes.

"Would they want a car wash next to them built, you know?" she said. "Of all things you could put there, all we ask is not to put something disruptive there that will affect our day-to-day, our home. I feel like it's not a hard concept."

Design agreement expected to be approved Monday

Last spring, the Braegelmans invited the city council to come see their neighborhood for themselves as they were making decisions about approving developers.

Although he hasn't visited the Braegelmans in person, citing COVID-19 concerns, Fitzthum said he's driven though the neighborhood often as discussions continue to play out.

On Monday the city council plans to approve a design agreement about River Oaks Lane road.

"Excited to see what develops out there. I think it'll be a really productive development for Sartell," Fitzthum said. "Sartell needs additional commercial development space and that's exactly what we're seeing there. That's a great location for it with the traffic on Highway 15, that's prime development property."

Becca Most is a cities reporter with the St. Cloud Times. Reach her at 320-241-8213 or bmost@stcloudtimes.com. Follow her on Twitter at @becca_most. 

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This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Development in Sartell worries homeowners who won't sell