Mike Senty came before the Grand Marais City Council on Wednesday, June 12, requesting a variance from the public street access requirement to divide his existing 100’ x 770’ lot into three parcels.
The land is located in the R-1 Permanent Residential Zone.
A driveway will access two of the lots with one of the lots already in a purchase agreement, Mike said to the council. The third lot is adjacent to the land his house sits on, and at this time he has no intention of selling it, he added.
On June 5 a public hearing was held by the planning commission, and several neighbors attended it. Sandy Petty, a neighbor to the south, expressed concern that the site of the proposed driveway would be directly across from her house, with the potential for causing traffic, lighting, snow plowing, and runoff issues.
The neighbor to the east, Cindy Larsen, suggested giving Senty an easement for the driveway that would be partially on her property so in the future it could be used to access up to six more lots owned by her.
During the June 5 hearing, it was noted that under the city’s current zoning Mike has the right to create a driveway as it was proposed and he also has the right to remove trees to develop the property.
Still, the planning commission, who voted 3-0, favored the development of the driveway on the east side because it could potentially create six more lots, but the commission would not guarantee that Larsen could create new lots without undergoing a further review of the platting process.
And it was noted by city councilor Anton Moody, who is a contractor and housing developer, that the road would have to be upgraded quite a bit from the one Mike proposed because of additional usage.
When addressing the city council, Mike said he had had further talks with Larsen, and she was still willing to give him an easement for a driveway. But he noted there would be additional legal fees for him to pay for a new set of easements, and he didn’t think it would be a good financial move, plus, the prospective buyer of one of the lots wants the driveway to stay where he first planned it.
As for automobile lights shining in Petty’s house when vehicles access County Road 7, Mike had some pictures he had taken of the proposed driveway site that he shared with council that he said made her concern a “moot point.”
When it came time to decide on the matter councilor Tim Kennedy made a motion seconded by Anton Moody approving Senty’s request with the addition of a required maintenance agreement between buyer and seller, which Mike agreed with.
Concerning Larsen’s property, Mike said he was willing to cooperate with her to see if there was a way for her to develop the land in the future.
Downtown parking
Cook County Chamber of Commerce director Jim Boyd came before the council to discuss downtown parking, or rather, the scarcity of downtown parking.
Jim has been working with the Grand Marais Business Coalition, a subgroup of the Chamber, on coming up with solutions to a dilemma that will only grow worse during the next two summers when the Highway 61 project goes through town.
The group offered several ideas that could open up more parking for visitors to our town during the busy tourist season.
Suggestions included asking employees to park off the main streets to open more street parking for patrons. Ideas for where employees could park were discussed and more ideas will be sought.
To add more parking all recreational vehicles and vehicles with boat trailers could be steered to the Artist Point parking lot with way finding signs placed at the east and west entrances to Grand Marais, Broadway and the access to Artist Point, as well as allow RV and boat parking along the west side of block 31 and south side of Highway 61 between First Avenue West and Second Avenue West.
The coalition also suggested changes to the city’s parking limit, asking that parking be extended from 90 minutes to two hours and calling on the city to place two parking limit signs per block.
Councilor Kelly Swearingen asked Jim how the city was going to enforce a two-hour parking limit? “If we’re going to put an ordinance in place and not enforce it, then why do it?”
He replied that in the short-term, enforcement would be difficult, but suggested that before considering that option, see if the public follows the request as posted on the signs.
Another suggestion was to have a private group make up and place friendly reminders on violator’s windshields that say something to the effect, “Welcome to Grand Marais. We’re glad you are here. Please observe our parking limits.”
Jim asked about the possibility of having overflow parking at the Tomteboda site in front of the Public Works facility to provide satellite site parking in the summer of 2021 during Highway 61 construction, with the possibility of this use continuing beyond the reconstruction project. Beth Kennedy said the school has already agreed to let their parking lots become available for overflow parking.
Ivy Hocking spoke next. She said the group was trying to take a proactive and positive approach while acknowledging that with the construction coming, “We’ve got a problem.”
Changing behaviors of three groups of people is needed to help solve the problem, said Hocking. These groups are locals, tourists, and employees.
As Jim said, this is just the start of a conversation. It must be carried to the business community and greater community to see if the public is ready for any of these potential helpful solutions.
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