The Grand Marais Planning Commission gave its approval to a preliminary plat application for construction of “Grand Lakeview” – a 24-unit development on the site of Gofer Cabins at the intersection of County Road 7 and Highway 61 east of town.
The application was submitted by Gopher Lakeview LLC and reviewed by the planning commissioners at their April 16 meeting. It is a revised version of an incomplete application that was submitted a month earlier. The revision includes changes based on feedback of what is required by the city’s zoning and subdivision ordinances.
Todd Christiansen, who presented the plans, explained that the plat calls for 8.3 acres of property zoned C/I and R/1 to be split into 24 residential lots intended for 12 twin homes, plus two commercial lots fronting the highway. The plans submitted and reviewed are for the residential portion of the plat only; Christiansen said there are not any plans for the commercial lots yet.
The developer said he envisions the homes to be modular units that are built elsewhere and delivered to the site. “Low- to moderately-priced is our goal,” he said, adding that he hopes to price the units in the low $100,000s to $130,000 range. The homes will either be leased or owned, and there may be some type of homeowner’s association.
There was discussion about topics ranging from the number of lots on the site, road width and ownership, infrastructure, turnaround radius and size, drainage and stormwater runoff, rights of way, and the development’s impact (if any) on neighboring properties.
Christiansen said he was asking for substandard sized lots because the smaller sizes will allow the cost to remain affordable, and said he is willing to consider private ownership of the road, creation of an owner’s association and protective covenants to make sure the development stays “neat and clean” and doesn’t permit nuisances such as truck parking.
City Administrator Mike Roth pointed out that the preliminary plat under consideration is really just a “concept plan,” and all of the concerns expressed by commissioners will have to be addressed in detail later in the process in the form of variances (and possibly ordinance amendments) the developer must apply for. Variances will be required for, among other things, the substandard lot sizes; road construction, size and ownership; and twin home construction and boundary crossing.
Roth said that once more details are decided on by the developer and the final plat is submitted, the plans will be reviewed by the city’s engineer. The planning commission will then have a chance to discuss and question individual items such as safety issues, maintenance, stormwater runoff and drainage, utility capacity, and anything else of concern. “There are still a lot of things to address,” he said.
The planning commission unanimously approved the preliminary plat, which allows the developer to move forward with his plans and return with more details. City council will consider and vote on the preliminary plat April 30, and Christiansen said he will then begin work on his variance applications with an eye toward expediting the process. He hopes to break ground this summer.
In other business, Linda Peterson appeared before the planning commission to ask what can be done to allow her property on West Third Street to be used as a vacation rental house. The property is in an area zoned R-1, which forbids vacation rentals.
Peterson said the house is across the street from the old playhouse building (currently an art studio), and there is also a bakery operating in a nearby building – both of which are permitted under existing ordinance. However, she said, she has been frustrated in her efforts to make use of her property as a vacation rental, and asked what can be done.
Roth said he would look into the possibilities, which include ordinance amendment or issuance of a conditional use permit, and report back to the planning commission.
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