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July 2012 |
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"Concurrently, prior to closing on the land with McKnights, who owned Victoria Farms, I formed Deer Run Neighborhoods LLC and recruited investors to help fund the residential infrastructure." But much of Victoria Farms did not lie within the city limits of Victoria, and if it were to develop into a golf course neighborhood, it would need city utilities -- sewer, water, gas, and so on. So in 1987 Fred petitioned to have 260 agricultural acres -- mostly pastureland -- annexed from Laketown Township into the City of Victoria. He added, "There was no city water in Victoria until we asked the city to start the water system when we started Deer Run." As a matter of fact, the city held a public hearing on municipal water in February 1988. "We did the platting in small chunks," said Fred, "and each plat had a number. After #12, I named the next one #14, skipping #13 on purpose. Kelly Hansen, the Carver County Recorder, gave me crap about being superstitious for years after that. Kelly moved to Deer Run and was part of one of the golfing groups I was in." The Grand Opening for the 365-acre residential and 18-hole golf course development known as Deer Run was held on a beautiful day in August 1989. The Club House, an original brick farm house on the property, was remodeled and enlarged into an impressive facility with amenities required of a top shelf clubhouse. Fred's Deer Run development brought the Street of Dreams to Victoria in 1992. It was a luxury home tour that ran for a whole month in Victoria, Minnesota, and brought people from all across the metro area and the State. Six Deer Run homes were featured with an estimated price range of $300,000 to $400,000. More than 55,000 people passed through the gate for the Street of Dreams. The Gazette learned that the original property owners -- before it became Victoria Farms -- included the ancestry of people like Elizabeth Diethelm, Ray Schmieg, Arnold Notermann, and Philip Schmidt. The property had long been a neighborhood of farms.
The 15th Hole
On Friday, June 15th, 2012, the Deer Run Golf Course Board of Governors, arranged to honor Fred Plocher for his vision and work at Deer Run. They recognized that through the development of Deer Run, Fred has probably brought more homes, residents, and property tax dollars to the Victoria community than anyone else. In Deer Run alone, there are 280 homes. The friends on the Board who spearheaded this recognition were Jim Emmer and Stan Hamerski who both live at Deer Run, and Tom Abts, the manager and golf pro at the Deer Run Golf Course. Jim is a golfing partner. Stan was a real estate partner for nearly 30 years. Fred resigned from the Board of Governors last year when he and his wife Mary Sue sold their home in Deer Run to spend most of their time, especially the winters, in Arizona. After dinner, Jim and Stan presented Fred with a plaque that is to be mounted on the 15th tee, which is one of the high points of the golf course. It reads: "FRED PLOCHER. On August 20th, 1989, Deer Run Golf Club opened for play. This picturesque golf course was once the McKnight horse ranch and country retreat, Victoria Farms. Fred Plocher purchased the McKnight property and created one of the most successful golf communities in Minnesota. Through skillful use and understanding of the land, Mr. Plocher developed a gorgeous golf course surrounded by a beautiful neighborhood. In recognition and appreciation of Mr. Plocher's vision, we dedicate his achievement here at the summit of the 15th tee box. Directly to the southwest is Lake Wasserman, originally known as Plocher's Lake -- named for Fred's ancestors who settled here from Germany."
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Fred/Mary Sue Plocher, Stan/Jayne Hamerski, Jim/Nan Emmer. |
