The developers of a West Highway 61 parcel were given until mid-June to persuade adjacent property owners that their plan to rezone 21 acres from Permanent Residential to Recreational Commercial is the best use of the site.
That was the decision of Grand Marais city councilors March 14 when they tabled a vote on the proposal which, if ultimately approved, will enable the petitioners to build a zip line on the site. The planning commission considered the request from Matt Geretschlaeger and HRH Highway 61 LLC a week prior to council’s meeting, and recommended approval by unanimous vote. However, some members of council said they were uncomfortable with the plan.
Citing letters received and comments made before the planning commission from owners of adjacent property, Councilor Bill Lenz said he couldn’t back the rezoning unless and until consent was given by all of the residents whose property bordered the site. Lenz said he believes that if people buy a piece of land which is surrounded by property zoned residential, they should be able to expect that the property will remain residential.
Lenz said that to change the zoning without their consent was “stepping on the rights of the people,” but stressed that he was not against the project and its potential economic benefits. “I don’t want to see this dead in the water, and if the people who live there would reconsider, I would too,” Lenz said. “I’m not against it if they’re not.”
Mayor Larry Carlson also voiced concern about the project, saying he feared a zip line would be a “move toward Disneyland. …It just doesn’t fit with what we’re all about,” he said, adding that if he were in the same situation as the affected residents on Harborview Trail, he’d want his neighborhood to be kept in the same zoning classification it was in when purchased.
Councilor Jan Sivertson didn’t express any qualms about the plan, but said it was important to ensure that there was an adequate buffer around the enterprise, as the property in question adjoins residential lots.
In response to the comments, Geretschlaeger said the ordinance requires a 50-foot buffer, but plans call for at least 100 feet with ample screening, and he didn’t believe noise would be a problem; opposition from neighbors is dwindling, as evidenced from the fact that none of those who complained at the planning commission meeting a week earlier were in attendance at the council meeting; one resident who sent a letter opposing the rezoning and zip line has withdrawn her complaint; and the zone change is really the least impactful use of the property and affords the city a greater level of control than it would have if left in its present zone district.
Furthermore, Geretschlaeger pointed out, he was only asking council to consider the rezoning request at the present time. Once that is approved, he said, he will have to come back to present plans for the zip line and ask for a conditional use permit.
“I would expect concerns due to the unknowns—it’s human nature,” Geretschlaeger said. “But I can assure you that I’ll have all of the information you need here later, and a team of experts on zip lines will be here to make a presentation and answer all of your questions.”
Councilor Bob Spry said he believed the rezoning request was reasonable, and Mayor Carlson said he was willing to vote for the zone change, but he was definitely not in favor of a zip line. “So we may be having this same discussion in the months ahead,” he said.
Lenz reiterated his concerns about the effect a zone change would have on the neighbors and said he would not vote for it unless there was complete agreement amongst them. “Even one opposed is not okay,” he said.
Following the failure of a motion to approve the zone change by a 3-2 vote (a change to the zoning map requires four votes of approval), Geretschlaeger was asked if he thought he could gain approval of all of the neighboring property owners in order to gain a positive vote from council.
“I can accept that,” he said, adding that his intention all along is to be a good neighbor and work with the residents to develop a successful plan. Geretschlaeger said he welcomes the chance to negotiate and work with the neighbors to address their concerns and said he was confident that he could come back with a deal that was palatable to all. “You can kill it right then if I don’t,” he said.
Hearing that, council voted unanimously to extend by 60 days the time period in which it has to render a decision, and Geretschlaeger said he would use that time to contact the affected property owners and gain their support for the rezoning. The extension gives council until mid-June to act on the request.
In other business:
. On the recommendation of the planning commission, council voted to deny a planned unit development request, preliminary plat and conditional use permit submitted by David Parsons for a site at 1800 W. Highway 61 which is being touted as “Uptown Grand Marais.” The denials were based on Parsons’ failure to provide additional information about long-range plans for the 21-acre site. Parsons said he planned to re-do some of the project and would present the information in phases rather than all at once. Council did approve a request from Parsons to amend the zoning map for the property to correct a previous mistake and convert a 66-foot strip from Residential to Commercial-Industrial.
. Hal Greenwood was named to the planning commission, thus filling the last vacancy on the five-member board. Greenwood, who attended the council meeting, said he served on the planning commission from 2002-08 and thus is familiar with the city’s zoning ordinances and codes. Greenwood said he decided to apply for the position again because nobody else came forward.
. Travis Wickwire was hired as the new parks facilities manager. City Administrator Mike Roth said 32 applications for the position were received, and the top five candidates were interviewed. Wickwire is a resident of the West End, is a former Marine and has experience as an electrician, landscaper and vehicle mechanic.
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