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On Oct. 24, the Chisago City Council voted to pursue a grant through the State of Minnesota Local Road Improvement Program for road improvements but left the door open as to which road would be funded. City engineering firm Bolten & Menk had proposed that Chisago City seek a grant for reconstruction of Pioneer Road from Iris Avenue to Highway 8.

The council, concerned that future Highway 8 construction might impact a portion of Pioneer Road, mentioned Liberty Lane and Karmel Avenue, both in the vicinity of the Lakeside Elementary School, as possible alternatives. The city council will make a final decision on which road to improve before the state grant application is due in December.

In other business, the council:

- agreed to pay contractor C. W. Houle $178,545 for the city’s 2023 water and sewer extension project. City Administrator John Pechman explained why the project, designed to extend water and sewer to the site of a proposed joint Lindstrom-Chisago City Police Department building and future growth areas, came in more than $23,000 over budget. He said this was due to the addition of a second hydrant, removal of the impound lot fence and other factors. Pechman assured the council that the added cost can be covered by the city’s sewer and water availability fee revenues.

- voted to accept the dedication of $1.47 million in street and utility improvements for Green Lake Villas, a planned unit development begun in October 2020. The improvements taken over by the city include sanitary sewer, water mains, storm sewer, streets, private utilities and erosion control. The city’s acceptance of the utilities eliminates the need for holding an ongoing letter of credit from the developers, represented by Don Skelly.

- amended the city’s beekeeping ordinance to make it easier to keep bees within the city limits. Residents can now keep two bee hives on lots larger than .25 acre but less than one acre, four bee hives on lots larger than one acre but less than three acres, and up to eight beehives on lots larger than three acres but less than five acres. (Previously, bees could only be kept on lots of one acre or larger.)

- appointed Nathan Stackhouse to fill one of two open seats on the city park commission. In his application, Stackhouse stated that he enjoyed the outdoors and bringing his own kids to the parks. “I see the park commission position as an opportunity to learn about and positively impact our area,” he said.

- on a rare split vote, granted a variance to Michael and Leanne Roggemann,  Green Lake Ave., for a nonconforming accessory structure constructed without a permit. The storage building, which replaced two older storage sheds on the same location, sits along the bluff of Green Lake. The new building fails to meet side yard, rear yard and maximum impervious surface requirements (as did the pre-existing structures.)

At an Oct. 5 planning commission hearing, six neighbors endorsed the project stating the Roggemann’s kept a well maintained property and the new building was a visual improvement. The commission received one objection, which came from the Roggemann’s next door neighbor, Elizabeth Baxter. Following the hearing, the planning commission voted for partial approval of  portions of the variance pertaining to impervious surface area and setback from the lake’s Ordinary High water level. It recommended an alternative side yard setback, requiring the Roggemann’s to move the building six feet by June 30, 2024. 

Baxter appeared at the city council meeting stating her objections, saying she was the person most affected by the noncomplying structure. She suggested the building be moved to the Roggeman’s front yard, saying it could be placed on existing impervious surface there.

Two of the city council were opposed to granting the variance. Councilmember Nikki Battles said she feared allowing a structure placed without a permit could set “a dangerous precedent” 

Council Member Marie Rivers said, “Once you remove (a nonconforming older building), you can’t build it back where it was. If they’d have gotten a permit first, they would have known that.”

Councilmembers Jeremy Dresel and Craig Meyers, however, favored allowing the variance as long as the Roggemann’s paid the required penalty of a doubled building permit fee, moved the building over six feet, thus meeting the 10 foot side yard setback, and utilized gutters or a rain garden to minimize any runoff toward the lake.  

Dresel made the motion to approve the variance with those stipulations. Myers voted aye; Battles and River were opposed. Mayor Bob Gustafson broke the tie with his positive vote.

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