ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MN
PLANNING AND ZONING DEPARTMENT
Government Services Center
Government Services Center
320 West 2nd Street, Suite 301
201 South 3rd Avenue West
Duluth, MN 55802
Virginia, MN 55792
(218) 471-7103
(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.
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
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
380-0060-00340
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
Landowner
Alan & Mary Behrends
901 McGill Place
St. Peter
MN
56082
(507)382-5286
--
--
Mailing Address Information.
This address can default from the address you selected. If the values defaulted are not correct, please enter the correct information.
Alan & Mary Behrends
901 McGill Place
St. Peter
MN
56082
(507)382-5286
al@gustavus.edu
Site Information
If there is no site address, the application will be forwarded to 911/Communications to assign one.
Yes
6009 Taft Rd, Duluth, MN 55803
No
US Forest Service
US Forest Service
MN DNR, Area Hydrologist
MN DNR, Area Hydrologist
MN DNR Land and Minerals
MN DNR Land and Minerals
St. Louis County - Duluth
St. Louis County - Duluth
Government Services Center
320 West 2nd Street, Suite 301
St. Louis County - Virginia
St. Louis County - Virginia
Do you have written authorization from the leased property owner?
If Yes, you must attach written authorization form.
How is the property accessed?
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.Yes
Total # of bedrooms on property after project completion.2
Does this project include plumbing or pressurized water in proposed structure?Yes
If Yes, please explain:(Not included)
Is this project connected to a municipal or sanitary district system?No
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.We wish to add a room to our small 107 year old cabin that is located within 60 feet of the shore of Bergen Lake and 32 feet from our property line on the east side of the cabin.
The current dimension of the cabin is 16.5 x 15 feet with a porch that is 12 x 8 feet on the lake side (north) of the cabin. The main room is lofted with room for 2 beds and storage.
The 16 x 15 addition would be built to include a bathroom and would also be lofted for another sleeping space. There is currently no toilet or waste disposal in the cabin.
We have received a septic permit from St. Louis County.
Describe the intended/planned use of the property.The intended use of the cabin is for our family to continue to use it to enjoy the lake and the woods on a seasonal basis with the convenience of an indoor bathroom and additional space.
The addition will allow us to add a bathroom and living space, an additional bedroom and a basement for storage.
We have an outhouse but with parents in their 90s, we hope to make it more convenient for them to visit, and perhaps stay overnight.
We also wish to discontinue the use of the outhouse and remove it from the property while installing a modern waste water system.
Describe the current use of your property.We have owned the cabin since 2007 and are spending up to 60 days at the lake each summer.
The current use is seasonal enjoyment of the lake, the woods and the proximity to Duluth.
The outhouse is used for its intended purpose as well as a disposal location for gray water from the kitchen sink.
The cabin has a new well and electricity which have added greatly to our appreciation of the cabin.
Describe other alternatives, if any.Continued use of the outhouse is an option but we hope to gain reasonable use of the cabin by including an indoor toilet and shower.
It is also an option to downsize the addition. Our contractor has advised we use the more standard size of 16 feet for building materials.
A 14 foot addition may be possible and still include enough space for the bathroom and additional living space on 2 floors.
Building an addition to the south is not possible as a very large white pine is located 16 feet to the south and we hope to save the tree by not disturbing the roots.
If approved, how will the proposed use, with the variance, fit into the character of the neighborhood/area?Current sites on the lake are both seasonal and year-round dwellings. Building styles vary from ramblers to 2 story to split level.
I am not aware of any other outhouses on the lake.
Eliminating it would be a great improvement to the neighborhood and reduce the possibility of that waste water entering the lake.
We have been waiting on installing a septic system, new siding and a new roof until we were able to move forward with this project.
The cabin's current siding is an asphalt wrap that has the feel of standard shingles and is a strange dark red/green camoflauge.
An upgrade in the exterior siding and roof would tie the new room to the original cabin.
Describe how neighboring properties and the use of those properties will be impacted by the proposed use with the variance.I believe updating the look of the cabin and removing the outhouse will be the greatest and positive impact.
However, the request to add the 15 x 16 foot addition will move the east wall of the cabin from 32 feet to 16 feet from the east property line.
Describe how negative impact to the local environment and landscape will be avoided.The cabin does not currently have gutters on the roof. I will install gutters and a system to capture rainwater from the roof.
The hill between the lake and the cabin is currently untouched other than an old cement stairway and what was once a path for 4-wheelers to reach the lake.
We don't have a 4-wheeler and will not have one. I filled the tire ruts and they are now overgrown with native grasses and flowers.
I do not mow this area now and will not in the future to allow trees to grow there. The area on the east side of the cabin where the addition is proposed is now mostly dirt with little grass and no trees.
A basement under the addition will help stabilize this area and reduce drainage under the cabin and down the hill to the lake.
The current cabin is on stilts now and rainwater drains under the cabin.
Our contractor has advised us to include a foundation under the entire structure to stabilize that area and the entire structure.
Describe the expected benefits of a variance to use of this property.The major benefit is to make our cabin more usable than it currently is. It will allow us to remove the current outhouse and install the new waste water system.
A new room and modern bathroom will allow us to do this and gain a little more living space.
With the addition, re-siding and re-roofing the entire structure (with less garish colors), adding gutters and a rainwater catch system, the entire project will enhance the neighborhood, blend in better, and reduce rainwater draining to the lake.
Include additional comments that will clarify your request for the Planning and Community Development staff members and the Board of Adjustment.Thank you for your time.
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?
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.
I have read and agree to the statement above.
