If you've ever driven along County Road 50 in Lakeville, you know exactly what I'm talking about.
Those bright orange and green painted rail cars. Just sitting there. Sometimes for weeks. Sometimes for months.
Since 2011, there's been a Facebook page dedicated entirely to documenting this issue. Fourteen years of residents posting photos and asking the same questions: "Why are these here? Who do we call? When will this be fixed?"
Well, the wait is finally over.
On December 4th, the Lakeville Planning Commission unanimously voted to approve a comprehensive plan amendment and rezoning for a 33-acre rail car storage facility. The facility will be located west of High View Avenue and north of 225th Street, near the Airlake Airport.
Here's what's actually happening: Compass Railroad, a Texas-based company, will build the storage facility in partnership with Progressive Rail. Once completed (expected sometime in 2025), those rail cars currently parked along County Road 50 will be moved to this dedicated industrial area.
No more painted rail cars cluttering up your commute. No more wondering why they're sitting in what feels like random spots throughout the city.
This wasn't a quick decision. In fact, one Planning Commissioner described this as "years in the making with many levels of government working together."
Here's what had to happen behind the scenes:
The Annexation Process: The land needed to be officially brought into Lakeville city limits from Empire Township. This required state approval, which wasn't finalized until November 5, 2024.
Airport Authority Coordination: The Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) actually owns the northern portion of this land. They had to voluntarily participate in the annexation and agree to the rezoning. Spoiler: they did.
Multiple Rezoning Steps: The property had to go from rural/agricultural zoning to industrial zoning. The southern triangle (where Compass Railroad will build) is now zoned I2 (General Industrial District). The northern MAC-owned triangle is zoned IA3 (Airport Industrial District).
State-Level Approval: Because this involves annexation and airport-adjacent property, multiple state agencies had to sign off.
This is exactly the kind of boring, bureaucratic administrative work that makes local government move slowly—but when it works, it actually solves real community problems.
You might be wondering: why near the airport?
Federal aviation regulations impose strict height restrictions on any buildings or structures near airport runways. This creates a "safety path" leading into and leaving from the runway where you can't build tall warehouses, apartment buildings, or commercial structures.
So what can you do with that land? Rail car storage is actually one of the few viable uses.
As one Commissioner put it during the meeting: "It's not land that can be developed with big warehouses or homes right leading up to the runway. This was a really creative solution that a lot of people worked on."
Perfect use of otherwise limited-development land.
The Planning Commission's unanimous approval moves this forward to the Lakeville City Council for final approval. That vote is expected at the early January 2026 meeing.
If the City Council approves (which seems likely given the Planning Commission's unanimous recommendation), construction would begin in 2026.
Progressive Rail would then move their rail cars from County Road 50 into the dedicated storage facility. The partnership with Compass Railroad means there may also be a maintenance building added in the future, which would bring jobs to the area rather than just storage capacity.
If you've been following that Facebook page since 2011, this is your win. Community advocacy works—it just takes longer than we want.
For residents who drive County Road 50 regularly, your commute is about to look a lot cleaner. No more wondering when those painted rail cars will finally move.
For homeowners near County Road 50, this likely helps your property values. Those rail cars weren't exactly adding curb appeal to the neighborhood.
And for everyone who's ever complained about local government not solving problems? This is proof that when you have people willing to do the boring administrative coordination across multiple agencies and levels of government, democracy actually functions.
It just takes 14 years sometimes.
The Planning Commission meeting included several commissioners praising the multi-year effort. One commissioner specifically thanked city staff and everyone involved "on many levels of government" for getting this across the finish line.
The developer, represented by City Planner Katie Goodroad, confirmed that the MAC is fully aware and supportive of the rezoning. Progressive Rail has been working cooperatively throughout the process.
No residents spoke in opposition during the public hearing.
This is what civic journalism is all about: connecting the dots between community complaints and government solutions.
That Facebook page documenting rail cars since 2011? It represented real community frustration. The Planning Commission's unanimous vote on December 4th? That's the government response that actually solves the problem.
Between those two points were years of annexation paperwork, state approvals, airport coordination, and rezoning applications. Not sexy. Not viral. But effective.
Local government can work. It just requires patience, coordination, and people willing to do the unglamorous administrative work that makes real solutions possible.
If you've been driving past those rail cars for years wondering when something would change—the answer is: finally, in 2025.
