Council approves Essentia plans

As recommended by members of the Cloquet planning commission, the Cloquet City Council approved plans for the proposed Essentia health care clinic Aug. 20. The new clinic will be 10,000 square feet and located at 1413 Highway 33, currently the site of the vacant Driftwood Motel across Highway 33 from Walmart.

City planner/zoning administrator Al Cottingham said now only the building permit needs to be approved.

“We haven’t seen detailed construction plans, but I understand the architects are working on them,” he said, explaining that the approved plans were conceptual plans and met city guidelines for things such as location, parking spaces, exterior facade and more.

When a councilor asked if the city could deny the site plan, Cottingham said a denial would likely result in a lawsuit, as the plan meets all of the city requirements, including zoning.