© Todd Remington 2006

Mineral Springs - The Complete Story

"The design for Mineral Springs is an effective example of how flexibility in an otherwise conservative land-use tradition can provide for more efficient development and preserve the public’s investment in a Wild and Scenic River."
(Quote from Minnesota Land Trust & University of Minnesota Study)

Mineral Springs is a unique residential community consisting of 160 acres of river bluff and prairie along the north shore of the Cannon River in Central Minnesota. A "Wild and Scenic" designation by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) pays homage to the natural beauty of this site which includes nearly one and a half miles of shoreline and a small island. This designation also means stringent regulations to protect Minnesota's rivers. Regulation like "cluster development" has been adopted by the DNR in Wild and Scenic districts as an attempt to protect large areas of the natural landscape. Developers are allowed to group houses close together (closer than county zoning ordinances generally allow in rural areas) in exchange for a promise to provide large protected plots of undisturbed land. Seen as cutting edge sustainable design limiting low density suburban sprawl, the cluster approach in reality seemed to us little more than a miniature version of traditional town growth. We kept asking ourselves, "isn't there another way to protect the natural setting without clumping everyone together? Is there really a dichotomy between pristine nature and ugly human settlement?" These questions began to haunt us while working extensively with the DNR and Goodhue County to explore the possibilities for the project. Surprisingly, after voicing our concerns both agencies encouraged us to challenge their ideas of "cluster" development and residential growth. Ultimately we developed a community plan that broke some rules even though it respected the philosophy behind the cluster development concept.



In our solution human settlement is interwoven with, and co-exists with nature. Small privately owned lots of approximately 2 acres are sprinkled throughout a large permanently protected open space. Over 80% of the property is held in trust allowing residents to live immersed in a game preserve. Responding to the diverse natural topography, Mineral Springs is composed of three distinct "topographic clusters", Prairie, Hill, and Forrest. All provide distinctly different environments that building sites must respect. The Prairie for example is a large flat river bench restored from cornfield to indigenous prairie grass. To keep this prairie intact we envisioned it as a lake, all building sites sit around its perimeter. Roads are not allowed within the prairie either. Throughout the development care was taken to impart a low-impact attitude towards the land. Home sites were placed in existing clearings to avoid tree cutting and earth moving. In addition, each site has a unique sense of place oriented towards the river and natural context. Roads avoid separating homes from the river or primary views. All sites have southern exposures. We took great pains in situating the roads to reduce earth moving and tree removal. Initially the county wanted a pre-defined layout until we convinced them that would not allow us to be light on our feet. Only 18 feet wide, these roads were narrowed below the county minimum of 24 feet (established for agricultural purposes) to reduce hard surfaces, improve storm water runoff, and provide a lower visual profile. Storm water is not concentrated into a water containment system like most developments. In dispersing storm water the restored prairie plays a significant role. The indigenous but specially formulated prairie grass not only preserves top soil but expires significant amounts of moisture into the air. Additional storm water percolates through granular river bench soils.

Specializing in Residential Architecture: Homes, Cabins and Retreats