Melrose Select Board Clears Gerber Collision Expansion, Approves Townhome Deal

MELROSE — June 20, 2024 — Melrose Select Board approves Gerber Collision expansion permit and 34-unit townhome purchase agreement. The board unanimously approved a conditional use permit for Gerber Collision to expand auto body operations to an adjacent parcel, amending the noise and emissions condition to apply only to exposures "in excess of EPA or Minnesota Pollution Control Agency outdoor exposure limits." The board also unanimously authorized a purchase agreement with Roach Development LLC for city-owned lots on Railroad Avenue West, where the developer plans 34 townhome units across 17 buildings; land acquisition is set for 2024 with construction not expected until late 2026 or early 2027. Roach Development, which built Melrose Village Townhomes in 2002 and East Village in 2008, has paid its TIF application fee and provided escrow funds. The board also voted to update the city's Earned Sick and Safe Time policy after the Minnesota Legislature exempted volunteer firefighters, EMTs, and elected officials from ESST eligibility during the 2024 legislative session.