Lack of land-use map deplored

Crow Wing County's need for a land use map was reiterated Tuesday as commissioners considered a rezoning request on a small, shallow lake in Nokay Lake Township.

The rezoning request from Robert Keith and Janice Jones for the 10 acres was approved from agriculture to shoreland residential 2 to allow a subdivision of the property off Woodrow Road.

Neighbors spoke of the loss of agricultural land and the culture of the area along with protection for the unnamed lake's pristine habitat. Neighbors said rezoning this property would open the door for more subdivision, speeding up the loss of farm land.

Jane Halverson, Woodrow Road resident who is the third generation on the land, said the area is a community of past and present farmers and the applicants knew the zoning when they bought the property.

She read a letter from Jeffrey Klippenes, who said his family immigrated from Norway in the mid 1800s and homesteaded in the area.

"While I understand the need for growth and change, some changes lead to tragic outcomes," Klippenes wrote. "The loss of the culture and flavor of Nokay Lake's historical roots in my mind would be both tragic and epic."

Chris Pence, land services supervisor, said the applicant wanted to subdivide to have buildable land for a family member.

Iver Halverson, Woodrow Road, said the other small 2.5-acre lots in the area date back decades, have small buildings and are not near the lake, which he said was more like a pond. Iver Halverson said they were worried about preserving the fragile undeveloped pond and the forested area around it, which prevents erosion and run-off. If the county let the applicants carve up the land, Iver Halverson said others use its example to follow suit.

Mark Liedl, land services director, said a future land use map would help provide a guide instead of visiting the issues one-by-one but the question would be if the county had the staff resources to do the work.

"What we need to do is have a broader picture for where we're going on these lakes down the road," Liedl said.

Liedl said the planning commission picked the 2.5-acre-lot size over a smaller shoreland lot option in recognition of the surrounding neighborhood.

Administrator Tim Houle said how Crow Wing County has historically handled zoning is a noteworthy distinction.

"In my past experience, if we had five rezone requests in a year that was a lot," Houle said. "The zoning map that we have in Crow Wing County we are looking at it and treating it as if we rezone to the current use. That's not what a zoning map is ever intended to do. It's to zone to the future development that you want to allow."

Houle suggested Crow Wing County's map is a quintessential definition of spot zoning. Commissioner Doug Houge agreed the county needed to figure out a way to get a future land use map in motion. Houge said rezoning from active agriculture to a potential three building sites afforded the lake more protection.

RENEE RICHARDSON may be reached at renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5852.