---

After requiring additional catch basins as recommended by the city engineer, and discussing concerns about snow storage and removal, the Chisago City Council on Jan. 23 approved the final plat for Lake Martha Overlook. The city’s approval includes 13 conditions which High Pointe Land, LLC, must meet before constructing 25 detached villa townhomes, on Lake Martha off Karmel Avenue.

The 13 conditions include a requirement to plant one large tree between every two lots, as soon as a home is constructed on one lot, and approval of seven variances. In addition to variances for front, rear and side yard setbacks, lot width, and roof pitch, the development required variances for impervious surface of 36 percent, which has a normal maximum of 25 percent.  City ordinances require a minimum lot size of 15,000 sq. ft. in a shoreline overlay district planned unit development, Lots in Lake Martha Overlook range from 6,000 to 9,000 sq. ft.

Residents attending a Jan. 4 public hearing had voiced concerns about the small lots and the possibility of more variances being required in the future. 

High Pointe also plans to build a 13-slip community dock. The slips will accommodate small watercraft with low horsepower or no motors (canoes and kayaks) suitable for use on the shallow recreational lake. Some of the boats may be shared use by the residents. 

City planner Leah Nelson reported the Department of Natural Resources had received the Lake Martha plat for review but sent no comment.

Council discussion focused on the lack of space to put plowed snow.  Developer Don Skelly said adding 10 feet to elongate the cul-de-sac wouldn’t help much. He suggested moving one of the driveways would provide more space to store plowed snow.    It was decided that in a large snow event, plowed snow will have to be hauled away at the development’s expense. Councilmember Craig Meyer suggested placing wording in the documents stating piled snow must be removed within a set number of hours of the snow event

Councilmember Jeremy Dresel said, “We could make it a condition of approval that the homeowners association is responsible for removing piles of plowed snow within the development.” Homeowners documents have yet to be drawn up, Skelly said.

In other business, the council:

- as part of the consent agenda, approved the 25-year interim use permit for Sunrise Energy Ventures solar array as approved Dec 12. The updated landscape plan describes planting requirements including no gaps in the northeast corner of the property landscape buffer.

- heard Fire Chief Zach Reed’s 2023 year-end report. Reed said the department responded to 101 calls for service in 2023, and saw a growth in mutual aid calls assisting surrounding communities. The department logged over 1,500 hours of training, more than three times the required amount of 480 hours. Three members of the department attended Minnesota State Fire School at Lake Crystal. Reed attended Fire Chief Boot Camp, Minnesota State Fire Officer Academy courses and earned continuing education credits at the Minnesota State Fire Chief’s conference in Duluth.

The department participated in 23 local community events and conducted its annual Christmas toy drive. Training in the coming year will include; active shooter, electric vehicle extrications and water rescue team support training. 

The department started the year with 21 members, four members short of a full contingent of 25 firefighters and one floating reservist and anticipates a couple retirements in the coming year.  A hiring committee has been activated, Reed said.Three new firefighters were sworn in at the council meeting. (See accompanying photo.)

Reed said, “The fire service has struggled in recent years in retaining and recruiting members...the future of becoming a paid on call department is here. I ask that we start preparing to increase the funding to make this possible

- voted to appoint the following election judges for the presidential primary, primary and general elections on March 5, August 13 and November 5: Head Election Judge—John Pechman/Leah Nelson/Paula Oehme and election judges Patricia Walsh, Julie Redpath, Debra Melander, Sue Snow, Lynne Bly, Wendy Colucci, David Hardin and Debra Josephson, as well as Linda Ploog and Kim Kildal for the primary and general election.

Election judges receive $12 an hour. The head judge receives $14. Chisago City will have two voting precincts located at Lord of the Lakes Lutheran Church on Itasca Avenue and Chisago Lakes Baptist Church on Wyoming Trail.

- heard Planner Leah Nelson’s report on the annual wellhead protection plan saying, “There is no new known potential for unused wells and no city wells were sealed or required to be sealed.” 

Councilmember Marie Rivers then asked if the city would lose the ability to pump water in the event of a loss of power. Administrator John Pechman reported the city has two generators available for the city’s three wells and plans to replace one of those generators this year.  The three wells are never used simultaneously, he said.

He added, “On Raspberry Hill, we did use an interconnect (of Chisago City’s water system) to Lindstrom’s” to be used only in the event of a major emergency. “It’s not a good idea to use (the inter city connection) unless we absolutely have to (avoiding the potential of cross-contamination between the two systems),” he explained.

---