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Shoreland zoning reshapes county
Lake preservation at core of shoreland ordinance changes
Published Monday, March 17, 2008
Bill Kalar
The revised Otter Tail County Shoreland Management Ordinance is in the hands of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) which will review the document. The effective date will come when the DNR gives its official okay to the document that has been in place, until the latest revision, since Jan. 1, 2004.
“We don’t see anything the DNR would object to, since we’re in compliance with the Statewide Standards for Management of Shoreland Areas,” county Land & Resource Director Bill Kalar said.
During the past several months the five-member county board revised several definitions in the shoreland ordinance. Changes were made in conjunction with input from county residents during both committee meetings and public hearings.
“Members of the county board clarified existing positions,” Kalar said.
The county board decided not to substantially change the one dwelling per lot rule. As things stand now, RCUs will have to be stored off of lake lots. However, a tent or tents not exceeding 100 square feet of space will be allowed at lake lots.
Impervious surface — a term used often during recent public input for revisions of the county Shoreland Management Ordinance — was at the crux of the debate as commissioners tried to balance manageable development while at the same time protecting lakes.
The term (impervious surface) refers to a constructed hard surface that either prevents or retards the entry of water into the soil. This, in turn, causes water to run off the surface in greater quantities and at an increased rate of flow than prior to development near lakes in Otter Tail County.
No more than 25 percent of a lake lot can be covered by impervious surfaces. Examples of impervious surfaces include decks, rooftops, sidewalks, patios, permeable pavers, storage areas and concrete, asphalt and gravel driveways.
“Surface water running off the lake lot property — rather than soaking into the ground — runs off into the lake itself, oftentimes carrying nutrients and chemicals,” Kalar said. “The new 2008 ordinance requirements are written to help curtail the amount of runoff.”
The revised ordinance also defines buildable areas. Lots going to be created must have legitimate areas for buildings and sewage (septic) systems.
With cluster developments, parcels of property must have sufficient lake or river frontage to provide a minimum of frontage per dwelling unit. This is done in accordance with lake or river classification and water frontage requirement. Residential density is one of the concerns.
The State of Minnesota requires all counties to have shoreland ordinances. Public hearings are required when changes to the ordinance are proposed. In the case of Otter Tail County, commissioners and county residents waded through two-thirds of the ordinance on Jan. 8 and reviewed the final one-third of the document on Jan. 15.
The original Otter Tail County Shoreland Management Ordinance was adopted on Oct. 15, 1971. Since then revisions took place in 1973, 1978, 1981, 1985, 1992, 1993, 1997, 2001 and 2004.
Comments
The Daily Journal is happy to host community conversations about news and life in Fergus Falls and the surrounding area. As hosts, we expect guests will show respect for each other. That means we don't threaten or defame each other, and we keep conversations free of personal attacks. Witty is great. Abusive is not. If you think a post violates these standards, don't escalate the situation. Instead, flag the comment to alert us. We'll take action if necessary. It's not hard. This should be a place where people want to read and contribute -- a place for spirited exchanges of opinion. So those who persist with racist, defamatory or abusive postings risk losing the privilege to post at all.Posted by NeedMoreInfo (anonymous) on March 17, 2008 at 4:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
So, you define for the readers that DNR is the Department of Natural Resources (thanks). You define for the readers what an impervious surface is (once again, thanks). Yet you give the reader no inkling as to what an RCU is??? Per GOOGLE, RCU is the Royal Credit Union or maybe the Radio Control Universe...
Need More Info!!!
Posted by JacobMHD (anonymous) on March 17, 2008 at 4:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
An RCU is a recreational camping unit, I think.
Posted by NeedMoreInfo (anonymous) on March 17, 2008 at 4:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
That makes sense. Thanks JacobMHD.
Posted by pacman (anonymous) on March 18, 2008 at 10:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The other thing people need to understand is that this does not only apply to the use of campers on a lake, if you own land within a 1000 feet of a lake whether or not you have any lakeshore, it means that you cannot legally store your camper or RV in your own garage or on your "own" land. It is another example of government telling you that you do not really own your land.
Posted by PD (anonymous) on March 18, 2008 at 3:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
So the question that does not get answered is how can we change the outcome of this senseless ruling. Who would listen? The county commissioners only wanted to hear what the resorters and the shoreland management had to say. Does the DNR have ears? There were lots of blogs in opposition to the ruling when first reported. Could it go to a public vote? How would that be accomplished?
Posted by positivelyperham (anonymous) on March 18, 2008 at 4:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
dont group the resorters into this. the resorts asked for several things that were totally blown off by shoreland management and the "special group" that made the recommended changes, this group was a joke especially when you consider the "power" people in the group couldnt get everyone else in it to bow to their wims so they branched off and made their own group that was NOT sanctioned by the commissioners, however the commissioners listened very hard to this new group because it was made up of attorneys, bankers etc. the rcu unit was asked to be addressed by the commissioners from the resorters among several other things. the commissioners and bill kalar of shoreland management know that they passed a very overly restrictive 14 pages of changes basically giving shoreland management complete control over nearly everything. so to take the heat off of this they decided not to address the rcu issue and blamed the resorts for it. PEOPLE, THIS WHOLE PROCESS STINKS, IT IS DOWN ON THE BACKSIDE AT A TIME WHEN MANY LAKESHORE OWNERS ARE NOT HERE TO INPUT THEIR OPINIONS. THIS IS AS BAD AS IT GETS WITH OUR GOVERNMENT AND TAKING MORE OF OUR RIGHTS AWAY. SHORELAND MANAGEMENT AND THE COMMISSIONERS KNEW THEY WOULD FACE ALOT OF DISAGREEMENTS IF THEY DID THIS IN THE SUMMER, SO THEY PUSHED IT BY NOW. IT DOESNT MATTER IF YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH ANY OF THE CHANGES, YOU SHOULD BE OUTRAGED BY THE PROCESS OF WHICH IT HAPPENED. ONE COMMISSIONER HAS ALREADY TAKEN SO MUCH HEAT THAT HE HAS DECIDED NOT TO RUN FOR RE-ELECTION BECAUSE HE WAS TOLD BY LONG TIME SUPPORTERS THAT THEY WOULD DO EVERYTHING THEY COULD TO REMOVE HIM. YOU NEED TO CALL YOUR COMMISSIONER AND TELL THEM TO TAKE THIS POLITICAL JOKE BACK FROM THE DNR AND RE-DO IT THE RIGHT WAY. IF YOU DONT, THEN DONT COMPLAIN. SID NELSON HAS ALREADY BEEN BEATEN UP BY THIS, THE REST OF THE COMMISSIONERS NEED TO KNOW WE, THE PROPERTY OWNERS OF OTTER TAIL COUNTY WILL NOT PUT UP WITH THIS TYPE OF CRAP IN OUR COUNTY. and by the way, if you think the rcu unit issue is bad, just wait and see what they make you do if you want to change anything at your property, including a surveyors drawing costing you the owner thousands of dollars and oh ya i almost forgot, no more mowing of grass within 50 feet of the lake, think how nice that will look, im sure the west nile virus mosquitos will appreciate the new habitat as well.
Posted by MyFurryFriend56537 (anonymous) on March 18, 2008 at 7:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
positivelyperham -
I am sure you had a valid point to make, but unfortunately you lost me on your 3rd line of caps.
IS IT EASY TO READ THIS? IS IT EASY TO READ THIS? IS IT EASY TO READ THIS? IS IT EASY TO READ THIS? IS IT EASY TO READ THIS? IS IT EASY TO READ THIS? IS IT EASY TO READ THIS? IS IT EASY TO READ THIS? IS IT EASY TO READ THIS? IS IT EASY TO READ THIS? IS IT EASY TO READ THIS? IS IT EASY TO READ THIS?
Posted by flbigguy (anonymous) on March 19, 2008 at 11:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
How can I have a lot over an acre and can;t store my motor home on it after I build a house? What is the harm if no one is staying in the motor home that warrants this type of ordinance? This being done during the winter while we are in Florida speaks of underhandedness by Bill Kalar and the commissioners.
Posted by positivelyperham (anonymous) on March 19, 2008 at 3:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
myfurry, make a point or go back to your teenie bopper chat pages. and yes, it is easy to read.
Posted by MyFurryFriend56537 (anonymous) on March 19, 2008 at 9:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Um, yeah - my teenie bopper page...
http://www.newscientist.com/blog/technol...
Posted by globalcooling (anonymous) on March 19, 2008 at 11:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You sound like an idiot MyFuryNOTFriend.
Posted by old46guy (anonymous) on March 20, 2008 at 8:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)
OOPS, you don't need a surveyors drawing of the lot, you need a topog drawing of the lot with all the locations of well, house, septic, decks etc. If your contractor that is building OR if you talked to any good builder they would (like me) come out, spend an hour making some shots with my $100 builders level, go back and make a drawing of the plot which takes MAYBE 1.5 hours to prepare. Mr. Kalar would approve it in an instant. Don't blow this process out of proportion, OT county is very lucky to have this process in place, if your resort were in becker County you'd be working for months or years and thousands of dollars to go through the same process.
Posted by lookitup (anonymous) on March 20, 2008 at 8:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
positivelyperham - your comment about "no more mowing of grass within 50 feet of the lake" does not apply to existing developments. "Vegetative Strip: A 20 foot strip of land, located adjacent to and parallel with the OHWL, which is left in its natural state (must maintain existing ground cover), with the exception of a continuous 30 foot (maximum width) recreational access. A vegetative strip must be maintained in all subdivisions created on or after xxx." This is not an effort to "take our rights away" - it is an effort to protect the quality of the lakes.
Posted by positivelyperham (anonymous) on March 20, 2008 at 9:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)
how will the vegetative strip protect our lakes, especially if its just new developments??? what if i want to change something on my land? then i will fall under that new development classification. this should be an educational process with voluntary participation. anytime you are demanded to do something you are losing rights and read closer oldguy, it does say surveyors drawing, wont you be surprised when you go down to billy with your topog drawing and he rejects it. this needs to be blown out of proportion becasue thats what these changes are mr. kalar or mr. ronning or whatever name you want to hide behind. why this many changes when there were changes just done in 2004? if your so sure these changes are the way to go why didnt you have the meetings in the summer when more lake people are here to lend their input???? cowards
Posted by lookitup (anonymous) on March 20, 2008 at 10:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
No, you won't fall under the new development classification if you "change something on your land" if it is already been platted. And no, you don't need a registered surveyor's drawing unless it is a new development. Did they teach you how to read in Perham? You make a lot of ignorant comments, but you really don't make much sense, do you?
Posted by positivelyperham (anonymous) on March 20, 2008 at 6:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
hey lookitup you need to lookitup, your wrong again. dont you get tired of being wrong all the time. for my situation i WILL need a surveyors drawing, or as they call it a professional drawing. this is required as i am changing something on my land which is classified as cluster development. now go away little girl, you need more of that big time education. oh and if you want i can get you the actual ordinance numbers describing what i just said, or better yet, lookitup hahahaha.
Posted by lookitup (anonymous) on March 21, 2008 at 10:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Ah, so you have a "cluster development" - good for you. I hope Shoreland Management looks at you closely every time you do something. You are the biggest whiner I've ever seen. Oh, the issue of mowing near the shoreline only relates to "new" developments - guess you were wrong about that, Mr Perfect @hole.
Posted by positivelyperham (anonymous) on March 21, 2008 at 12:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
and thats something i am working towards you egghead, so i will be having new developments. your just mad you got proved wrong when you think your supposed to be so smart. and so what does your super brain due? resorts to swearing lol, go back to your trailer home you big man wannabe. leave the big issues alone to let the adults discuss them, back to the kiddie table for you junior.
Posted by lookitup (anonymous) on March 22, 2008 at 9:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
You don't discuss issues, now do you? No, you just YELL. positivelymoron is a more apt username for you, loserboy. Hope you lose your @ss on your cluster investments.
Posted by old46guy (anonymous) on March 26, 2008 at 3:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Sorry Mr. Positively Perham, I am from fargo, I am a building contractor that only builds in OTC because of the professionalism of Mr. Kalar and others compared to those in Becker, Hubbard and, oh yes, Fargo and Moorhead. I didn't hold meetings because I live in cass County (ND) not MN and I have been in Bill's office with a topog I drew just 4 weeks ago and it was approved on a lake lot that had lots of evelvation change to it and an existing cabin on the property. And the ordinance DOES NOT say a "Surveyors"
drawing anymore than it says an "Architects" drawing it says a topography drawing and believe me, most contractors wroth anything can make this up for very little cost. Try to live within the rules on these land use permits because it will only make your property a better piece of land and easier to sell when that time comes. I remember when there were lakes so dirty in OTC that I could walk across them (re: Pebble Lake in FF, my home town) I'm 62 and remember some pretty dirty lakes back in the 60's that are very celan now because of the rules laid out by those people you hate so much. KISSES
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