Blue Heron development to be 94 units

By Amie Steffen | The Daily Journal

Published Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Fergus Falls, MN — After four years of frustration on all sides, the Otter Tail County Board finally approved a conditional use permit Tuesday allowing 94 dwelling units and 87 boat slips as part of the Blue Heron Bay development on Dead Lake — a compromise that left both the developer and property owners association at least partially disappointed.

But the final figure was exactly what Land and Resource Director Bill Kalar recommended for the development after considering the Environmental Impact Statement and discussing the issue at length with both the developer and the property owners association.

“The reason I’m looking at (94 units) is (because) in the EIS, an item talked about specifically as a mitigation factor would be a reduction in density,” Kalar said, noting the figure was the base density number of units for the acreage.

The Dead Lake Association, which last week asked for no more than 70 units and boat slips, said they would like a number “in the 70s” and finally said they could live with 84 units. Don Fondrick, an association board member, reiterated the importance of protecting the environment.

“One of the greatest threats to lakes in our county is overdevelopment,” Fondrick said. “If we are going to err in any direction, let’s err in the direction of conservation.”

The DLA also asked that the property not be used for fractional ownership, or timeshares. County Attorney David Hauser said the county has not before dealt with that issue.

Developer Jim Erickson, who last week asked for 121 units and 110 boat slips, was asking for 109 units and the same number of slips. However, he said if Phase III of his project were sold as planned as an environmental trust, he would drop that number to 100.

“I strongly encourage you to give what I think is a practical number — six more units,” Erickson said. “It is an important statement that the county supports cluster developments.”

Newly-seated Everett P. Erickson, in his first act as District 2 county commissioner, made a motion for 109 units.

“We’re talking close to 8,000 acres on this lake,” he said in explanation. The motion died for lack of a second.

Jim Erickson said he “can not and will not” accept 84 units, implying he might withdraw his application if the number was reduced to a DLA-acceptable number.

“I haven’t spent all this time and money to do 84,” he said. “Can I live with 94? I guess so. But someone explain to me why I started with 138 and it’s down.”

Hauser held up the large EIS booklet in response. The motion for 94 units was unanimously passed by the board.