Application 20-000329: Record Inquiry

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Planning and Zoning: Land Use

Inquiry Results

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MN
PLANNING AND ZONING DEPARTMENT

Duluth

Virginia

Government Services Center

320 West 2nd Street, Suite 301

201 South 3rd Avenue West

Duluth, MN 55802

Virginia, MN 55792

(218) 471-7103

VARIANCE REQUEST PERMIT APPLICATION

Your Contact Information.
If the information is not correct, you may need to update your contact information using the 'Maintain Contact Information' option once you have filled out this application.

First Name: Field is required.

Neil

Middle Name:--

Last Name: Field is required.

Sorensen

Address Line 1: Field is required.

11 rue Saint Antoine

Address Line 2:--

City:

Noisy Le Sec

State/Province: Field is required.

93 - Seine-Saint-Denis

Postal Code: Field is required.

93130

Business Phone: Field is required.

0641668648

Mobile Phone:--

Home Phone:--

Fax:--

Email Address: Field is recommended.

neil_sorensen@yahoo.com

Preferred Contact Method: Field is required.

Any

General - This application is used to apply for a Land Use Permit. Applicants will need to attach the appropriate worksheet(s) in order to process. Incomplete applications will be returned. Note that the 'clock' does not begin until after payment has been processed for the application. For more information, see our website at: www.stlouiscountymn.gov/BuildingStructures

Enter the Primary PIN and Associated PIN (if applicable) of the property to be reviewed.
PIN is found on your Property Tax Statement. For example, 123-1234-12345. Primary PIN: Parcel where Structure/SSTS are located. Associated PIN: Additional and/or adjacent property that you own or that is related to the project.
County Land Explorer: https://www.stlouiscountymn.gov/explorer
Property Lookup: http://apps.stlouiscountymn.gov/auditor/parcelInfo2005Iframe

Primary PIN Field is required.

465-0020-04140

Associated PINs

Is this application being submitted for a Rehearing?
If this application is being submitted because a previous Variance Permit application was denied or disapproved, please select Yes.

Enter Applicant Information

I am a:

Landowner

Applicant Name: Field is required.

Neil Sorensen

Address Line 1: Field is required.

11 rue Saint Antoine

Address Line 2:--

City:

Noisy Le Sec

State:

93 - Seine-Saint-Denis

Zip:

93130

Primary Phone: Field is required.

0641668648

Cell Phone:--

Fax:--

Email:neil_sorensen@yahoo.com

Contact Person Name: Field is recommended.

Contact Person Phone: Field is recommended.

Mailing Address Information.
This address can default from the address you selected. If the values defaulted are not correct, please enter the correct information.

Same as Applicant address?Yes

Name:

Neil Sorensen

Address:

11 rue Saint Antoine

City:

Noisy Le Sec

State/Province: Field is required.

93 - Seine-Saint-Denis

Zip:

93130

Primary Phone:--

Cell Phone:--

Fax:--

Email:

neil_sorensen@yahoo.com

Site Information
If there is no site address, the application will be forwarded to 911/Communications to assign one.

Is there a site address for this property? Field is required.

Yes

Site Address:1782 Lambs Point Islands, Ely, MN, 55731

Is this leased property?No

Leased From?--

US Forest Service

Superior National Forest

8901 Grand Avenue Place

Duluth, MN 55808

MN Power

Shore Land Traditions

30 West Superior Street

Duluth, MN 55802

MN DNR, Area Hydrologist

7979 Highway 37

Eveleth, MN 55734

MN DNR Land and Minerals

1201 East Highway 2

Grand Rapids, MN 55744

St. Louis County - Duluth

Government Services Center

320 West 2nd Street, Suite 301

Duluth, MN 55802

(218) 725-5000

St. Louis County - Virginia

Land and Minerals

7820 Highway 135

Virginia, MN 55792

(218) 749-7103

Do you have written authorization from the leased property owner?
If Yes, you must attach written authorization form.

How is the property accessed?

Public Road

Private Road

Easement

Water

Other

Enter Project Information.
If you answered 'Yes' to any of the questions below, it is required that you submit a copy of a septic permit to construct or certificate of compliance approval or municipal/sanitary district approval when applying for a land use permit.

Is this project on a parcel less than 2.5 acres?

Yes

Is this project within 300 feet of a stream/river or 1,000 feet of a lake?

Yes

Is this project adding a bedroom?
Include home, garage, and accessory dwelling.

Total # of bedrooms on property after project completion.

Does this project include plumbing or pressurized water in proposed structure?

If Yes, please explain:

Is this project connected to a municipal or sanitary district system?

VARIANCE REQUEST WORKSHEET

A variance allows the use of property in a manner otherwise forbidden by a zoning ordinance by varying one or more of the performance standards such as lot size, setbacks, etc. Variances from official zoning controls are defined under Minnesota Statutes 394.27 and require the landowner to prove that the property could not otherwise be used or enjoyed in the proposed way by complying with ordinance requirements and that there will be no negative impact on surrounding properties.
It is advisable that you discuss your request with Planning and Community Development staff prior to submitting the application. Approval or denial of your request is dependent on the justification you provide in answering the questions on this application. For more information, please check our website at: www.stlouiscountymn.gov/VarianceRequired

VARIANCE REQUEST INFORMATION

Complete this form along with the Land Use Permit Application

What kind of variance request is this?
If this is a Variance After the Fact, you must answer additional questions below.

Variance Request

Describe what you are varying from and the situation that makes it difficult to comply with county ordinances.
If your proposal includes a structure, please also list the length, width and height of the structure.

Article II, Section 2.4 E. states the following: Permit not required: No land use permit shall be required for the following land use activities in any zone district; see Article V and VI for permits not required in specific zone districts and associated administrative standards: 5. Accessory structures that are 150 square feet or less in floor area (other than water oriented accessory structures) used solely for storage and privies provided that such structures meet all required setbacks and sanitary standards. The required setback for Shagawa is 75 feet because it is classified as a General Development (GD) lake. Thus the applicant requests a reduction of the setback requirement from 75 feet to 50 feet so the vault privy can be situated in the center of the island behind the cabin, and also the possibility to add this structure to the island, as the variance allowing for the building of the cabin in 2016 did not allow for any other structures on the property. Also, the property is an island in the shape of a teardrop, so while the length of the island is sufficient for the setback requirement, the width is not. The intention is to rent the cabin for part of the season, and St. Louis County Staff have indicated the existing compost toilet would not be sufficient for rental purposes, but that a vault privy would comply with the requirements of the new short-term rental regulations. The proposal is to install a vault privy that is 4' wide by 6' long and approximately 8' high. The vault privy will include a 300 gallon sealed septic tank.

Describe the intended/planned use of the property.

The intended use of the property is as a recreational property for ourselves and our friends and family, and also to rent out the cabin on a short-term basis to support paying for ongoing costs, such as property taxes and insurance.

Describe the current use of your property.

The current use of the property is as a recreational property, and in 2019 we rented it for the first time as well on a short-term basis.

Describe other alternatives, if any.

St. Louis County staff did not indicate any other feasible alternatives that would be considered favorably.

If approved, how will the proposed use, with the variance, fit into the character of the neighborhood/area?

Shagawa Lake is surrounded by resorts and rental properties, which are the economic engine of the region in terms of tourism. Thus, having a vault privy and using the island both as a family recreational property and for short-term rentals will entirely fit into the character of the area.

Describe how neighboring properties and the use of those properties will be impacted by the proposed use with the variance.

Neighboring properties will not be impacted by the building of a vault privy, nor will having occasional visitors to the island affect neighbors. Grand Ely Lodge, which directly faces the island, has agreed to provide private off-street parking to us throughout the season and to allow use of their docks, and thus the public boat landing will also not be impacted.

Describe how negative impact to the local environment and landscape will be avoided.

There is a spot in the center of the island directly behind the cabin that is perfect for the vault privy. It is surrounded by cedar trees and a great deal of greenery and natural screening. The natural environment will not be disturbed.

Describe the expected benefits of a variance to use of this property.

Allowing the building of a vault privy will ensure waste is treated effectively and will ensure there is no contamination of the surrounding environment. If this variance is approved and the short-term rental license application is subsequently approved, it will ensure long -term sustainability of owning the property by defraying the annually increasing costs of property taxes and insurance.

Include additional comments that will clarify your request for the Planning and Community Development staff members and the Board of Adjustment.

This variance request is in response to the establishment of the new short-term rental regulation. We have been in contact with the Land Use Planning Department and the Minnesota Department of Health since last year as soon as we became aware of the impending approval of the regulation in an effort to comply with this regulation. We became aware of the need for a variance this April in order to apply permission to build a vault privy, and thus we are submitting this request now. We had anticipated renting this season, but with the complexity of adhering to the new regulation this may be difficult. Nonetheless, we would appreciate if the Board of Adjustment would allow us to build this vault privy to enable us to continue to maintain the use of our property and ultimately to continue owning it over the long term and to contribute to the local economy.

IF YOU ARE RESPONDING TO A PERMIT VIOLATION, PLEASE ANSWER THESE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS

Describe your reasons county zoning ordinance requirements were not followed.

Describe your effort to comply with the ordinance and to obtain a land use permit and/or other required permits.

Describe any substantial investments, construction and/or repairs made to the property before you discovered you needed a variance.

If there was construction or repair, on what date did it begin? What date did it end?

Start Date--

End Date--

Who performed the construction or repair work?

Was a survey of your property boundaries obtained?

Prior to the construction or repair work, did you speak with anyone from the Planning and Community Development Department?

By submitting this application, I certify and agree that I am the owner or the authorized agent of the owner of the above property, and that all uses will conform to the provisions of St. Louis County. I further certify and agree that I will comply with all conditions imposed in connection with the approval of the application. Applicants may be required to submit additional property descriptions, property surveys, site plans, building plans, and other information before the application is accepted or approved. Intentional or unintentional falsification of this application or any attachments thereto will make the application, any approval of the application and any result invalid. I authorize St. Louis County staff to inspect the property to review the application and for compliance inspections. Furthermore, by submitting this application, I release St. Louis County and its employees from any and all liability and claims for damages to person or property in any manner or form that may arise from the approval of the application or any related plans, the issuance of any resulting permit or the subsequent location, construction, alteration, repair, extension, operation or maintenance of the subject matter of the application.
If your name, contact information or email address have changed, you should update your contact information in the portal by selecting 'Maintain Contact Information' at the top of this page.

Submitted By:Neil Sorensen

Address:11 rue Saint Antoine

City:Noisy Le Sec

State:93 - Seine-Saint-Denis

Postal Code:93130

Email Address:neil_sorensen@yahoo.com

I have read and agree to the statement above.

I agree

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MNPLANNING AND ZONING DEPARTMENT

VARIANCE REQUEST PERMIT APPLICATION

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MN
PLANNING AND ZONING DEPARTMENT