November 2, 2025 | Mark Luis Foster
You’ve heard of the 1,000-mile stare. How about the 1,000-foot driveway?
From Maple Grove comes the story of a homeowner faced with the creation of a driveway reconfiguration triggered by construction of a nearby HOA development. Local NBC affiliate KARE-11 reports:
City officials presented [homeowner Dawn] Cooper with two options to maintain access to her home. One option featured a new driveway that would connect to the neighborhood of townhomes next door, but Cooper says she was worried the driveway would take out a significant portion of her property and the driveway would be under the control of the HOA.
Probably not off base on that point. If your access point changes into a controlled HOA, there’s likely a concern to be shared. So the city presented a second plan:
The other option was to turn one of the lanes of Fernbrook Lane into a private driveway that would stretch 1,000 feet.
With a 1,000-foot access in Minnesota, the snow plowing alone seems daunting. In fact, the homeowner said a quote would cost her $4k for snow removal per season. Not to mention maintenance and the long approach just to get to your home.
The city says it’s working with the developer to determine if they can avoid the HOA access and the 1,000 foot entrance. Read and watch the KARE story yourself HERE.
