PRESCOTT – At the first Prescott Plan Commission meeting of the new year Jan. 5, commissioners voted to forward the concept plan for the next phase of the Great Rivers residential development to the city council for review.

According to city documents, Great Rivers is a residential development located east of Prescott, north of 570th Avenue, and adjacent to the Pine Ridge subdivision. Two phases of the development have been completed. The first addition, approved on Feb. 16, 2004, consisted of 44 lots. In September 2007, the subdivision was amended to allow for Planned Unit Development (PUD) within the Northern Lights Drive cul-de-sac. The PUD approval reduced side yard setbacks to 7.5 feet and allowed minimum lot widths of 60 feet, increasing overall density from 44 lots to 49 lots.

The council approved the second phase of Great Rivers in August 2021 which also included 49 lots. The City Council approved acceptance of the public improvements for this phase in December 2025. Allen F. Most Family Limited Partnership completed the first two phases of the development.

Future phases of the Great Rivers development are being proposed by JP Brooks, a residential developer based in Maple Grove, Minn. Plan commission documents state that JP Brooks has been involved in the second phase of the subdivision, purchasing a number of lots that are currently under development as a builder.

JPB Land (the development entity of JP Brooks) submitted a concept for the remaining developable land owned by the Allen F. Most Family Limited Partnership, which the Plan Commission approved.

In total, the proposal includes 242 additional single-family lots with a mix of lot widths: 39 lots at 55 feet wide, 155 lots at 65 feet wide and 48 lots at 75 feet wide.

City ordinance currently requires a minimum lot width of 75 feet. Commissioners were a little leery of the smaller lot sizes, but ultimately agreed the developer knows what people are looking for in the market. Commissioner Steve Most said he wants to see sidewalks on every street.

“I think the community agrees with me based on the survey,” he said.

New streets will include extensions of Northern Lights Drive and Mark Twain Blvd, an extension looping of Sea Wing Blvd. and a new neighborhood park.

Commissioners, though approving the concept plan, had some concerns they’d like to see addressed: Coulee River Trails integration, trail connections, sidewalk connections, water pressure, stormwater drainage, adding turn lanes off 570^th Avenue and a parking lot for the park.

A representative for JPB Land said they are currently building in 19 communities, including River Falls, New Richmond and Prescott.

“We do have an architecture and quality material standard, and we have an internal monotony code or anti-monotony code to ensure that no two houses look identical and that we’re creating a streetscape that still has some uniformity but is also pleasing to the eye and isn’t obnoxious or too uniform in that regard,” he said.

Other business

• The commission approved a Façade Improvement Program grant increase for 139/141 Broad St. The property owner, per a city council request, will install restored arched windows (original design), which increases the project cost from $42,556 to $56,656. Based on the updated project scope the grant amount will increase to $28,328.
• The commission continued with its Comprehensive Plan draft review, focusing Future Land Use Map, Discussion on Redevelopment Plan and Intergovernmental Cooperation chapters.
• The next meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 2 in City Council Chambers (800 Borner St. N.)