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Community profile: Belle Plaine

Growing on the edge of the metro region

Belle Plaine, situated on the Minnesota River in Scott County at the southwest corner of the seven-county metro area, typifies the kind of small city that many Minnesotans now over age 50 grew up in.

Founded in 1854, the downtown area features several historic buildings, and the surrounding neighborhoods have tree-lined streets with a variety of older homes. The city has its own public school district along with two church-based schools. Neighbors know their neighbors. On a hot summer day, you will find dozens of young people at the municipal swimming pool or riding their bikes to get there.

Like many metro communities, Belle Plaine experienced a building boom in the late 1990s and the first few years of this decade. The population grew from 3,789 in April 2000 to an estimated 6,595 in 2006. New houses and neighborhoods sprang up during a very strong housing market.

Growing housing options

Even though the housing boom has slowed in Belle Plaine, as elsewhere, growth is still occurring and expected to continue for the foreseeable future. In late June, the community celebrated the grand opening of Kingsway Retirement Living, which offers a variety of housing options for people ages 55 and older located on the 22-acre Lutheran Home Campus.

The anchor of the campus is The Lutheran Home, founded in 1898, a skilled nursing and rehabilitation center. The campus also includes Hope Residence, a care facility for adults with developmental disabilities, as well as other apartments for older people and people with disabilities.

“Belle Plaine has good life-cycle housing choices,” said Mayor Tom Meger. “During the housing boom, lots of starter and mid-level homes were created. We still have room for more upper-end housing,” he said.

The City is also staging its commercial growth. A new interchange with U.S. Hwy. 169, which bisects the community, has improved access to both the Twin Cities and points south, including Mankato, 39 miles away. 

The City has orderly annexation agreements with adjacent townships in preparation for the time when growth can no longer be accommodated within the city limits. The City runs its own wastewater treatment plant, which was upgraded in 2005 and has the capacity to treat more than twice its current average daily flow, with room to expand even further.

80 acres of city parks

Residents can enjoy the outdoors at 20 city parks, totaling about 80 acres, as well as at the 18-hole Valley View Golf Course just south of the city in Belle Plaine Township. A paved biking and walking trail starts along South Street in the older part of town, crosses under Hwy. 169 via an old cattle path, and continues through newer neighborhoods to the west.

The city has an active park board, Meger said, that promotes activities in the parks and helps plan improvements and expansions. A recent survey of residents showed that a large majority favor obtaining a broad range of types of open space for both active and passive recreation.

The City’s draft 2008 comprehensive plan recommends continuing to improve connections between city parks, and identifies areas where parks could be added or expanded. The plan also recommends that the City develop a five-year capital improvement program for parks.

Belle Plaine was among the first half-dozen jurisdictions to submit their 2008 comprehensive plan updates to the Metropolitan Council for review. The deadline for plan submittal is Dec. 31, 2008.