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Shoreland lot width issue gets emotions going CROW WING COUNTY BOARD Senior Reporter Residents packing the benches at Tuesday's Crow Wing County Board session took on the tone of a revival meeting while discussing the emotional issues of land development.
Remarks for and against were often punctuated with loud amens from the gallery.
At issue was a request from eight people to amend the county's zoning ordinance. They asked to delete language requiring new shoreland lots, created as a result of zoning map amendments after Aug. 8, 2006, to be 150 feet in width. Existing waterfront commercial properties were an exception to the rule.
After hearing from impassioned residents both for and against the change, the board agreed with the recommendations from its Planning Commission to remove the sentence, which will allow affected residents to seek a rezoning potentially to a 100-foot lot width.
Before the discussion began, Board Chairwoman Rachel Reabe Nystrom said the commissioners wouldn't make a decision based on the sheer volume of words so if residents wanted to echo a speaker's sentiments they could raise a hand or say amen. And they did, often.
Victor Kreuziger, Pequot Lakes, one of the petitioners asking for the change, said the goal of protecting water quality is not hinged on lot size, but on human behavior. Other property owners said they have owned lake property for decades and now are unable to split the land and sell part of it for family, for retirement or for income - in order to keep their own homes amid rising property values.
Those opposed to the change, which included Lake Edward and Ideal township boards and the Clamshell Lake Property Owners Association, Cullen Lake Association, Crow Wing Environment Protection Association and the Lakes and Rivers Alliance among others, spoke of concerns to protect water quality.
One resident said the argument was pitting old residents against new ones and residents around one lake against those of another.
Harold Bergstrom, Merrifield, said he understood hardship cases but questioned areas where developers were buying up several places and making seven lots where there were three before. Bergstrom said he is one of those newer residents who came here to get away from the Twin Cities not to recreate that development here.
"It's beautiful here," he said. "Don't ruin it."
Charles McQuinn, member of the Gull Chain of Lakes Association, said a fence can't be built around the area to keep people from coming here and 150 foot lot sizes amounted to negligent land consumption while those living on 100 foot lots could be responsible.
"People are coming to this area, there is not a thing anyone can do to stop that," McQuinn said, adding the 150-foot lot size is an economic issue. "It moves a whole group of people out who can no longer afford to buy a lot."
Crosslake resident John Forney said the comprehensive plan talks about protecting water resources and if that is not an issue then why not go to 60-foot lots so even more people can buy them.
Commissioner Doug Houge said a handful perceive the vote for this change will end shoreland residential district 2 zoning, which calls for larger lot sizes, but that is not the case. The county established two shoreland residential districts with district 1 reflecting the current pattern of development and the second district with larger lot sizes in primarily undeveloped areas - as of July 2005 - to reduce the effect of future development on lake water quality.
Houge said this vote specifically allows a small number of hardship cases to come to the Planning Commission for consideration and they do not have that option without the change.
Commissioner Paul Thiede spoke of his concern as a lake home owner that the larger lot sizes are increasing prices of land and subsequently taxes.
Commissioner Rosemary Franzen said she was conflicted as preserving natural resources is integral to the county's economic health but longtime homeowners shouldn't be penalized by the previous rule change. Franzen said implementing best management practices such as buffers are additional option to protect lake clarity.
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