Alexandria Township
Alexandria, Minnesota 56308
Minutes of the meeting of November 7, 2022
A regular meeting of the Board of Supervisors of Alexandria Township and public hearing of the Board of Adjustment was held on the 7th day of November, 2022 at the Alexandria Township Conference Room, 324 Broadway and via teleconference.
ROLL CALL: Supervisors present were Joel Dahlheimer, Rod Eldevik, Dennis Butz and Jerry Wright. Also present were Gregg Raisanen, Clerk, with Mona Billmark, Treasurer, via teleconference. As said members formed a quorum and the meeting was called to order by Chairman Eldevik at 6:00 p.m.
Chairman Eldevik closed the regular board meeting to open the Board of Adjustment meeting for the public hearing on the variance request submitted by Rebecca (Becky) Whiting. Property address is 2520 Le Homme Dieu Heights NE, #1. The request is to replace and extend an existing open deck approximately four feet from a side lot line in a residential planned unit development (min. 50 ft required) on a property that exceeds the impervious coverage limit.
Zoning Administrator Oleson reported the applicants are proposing to rebuild and extend an existing open deck out toward the lake by 3.5 feet. The existing deck is currently located about 4.4 feet from the side lot line. Since it is part of a PUD, the minimum setback requirement is 50 feet from a side lot line. The extended deck would create additional impervious coverage which creates a problem since the PUD as a whole already exceeds the maximum 25% per tier limit. The applicants are proposing to reduce impervious coverage elsewhere around their unit to accommodate the extension.
The applicant’s contractor mentioned that if the deck were angled, it could enhance the setback to 8 feet versus the 4 feet aforementioned.
The applicant stated the extension was approved by the Homeowners Association. She felt it should not affect the neighbor’s ability to build a home on their property in the future (Bumgarner).
Kelly Bumgarner, 2380 Co Rd 9 NE, Nelson, Minnesota, replied she has concerns regarding the perceived 8-foot setback as well as the ability to mow in that area. She commented that it’s tight quarters already.
Supervisor Wright asked Ms. Bumgarner if they have plans to build on their lot in the future. She replied yes.
Wright also asked how much difficulty they’ve encountered with mowing. The president of the Heatherwood Association stated they make every effort to keep their distance from the Bumgarner’s property.
Chairman Eldevik closed the public hearing and resumed the regular township board meeting at 6:13 PM.
Dahlheimer, seconded by Butz, made a motion to adopt the agenda with the addition of 1804 E. Lake Geneva Rd NE under Engineer’s Report. Motion carried unanimously.
Wright, seconded by Butz, made a motion to approve the minutes of the 10/17/22 regular board meeting as written. Motion carried unanimously.
Dahlheimer, seconded by Butz, made a motion to authorize payment of claims 22199 – 22209 in the amount of $43,831.99, net payroll $4,064.45 totaling $47,896.44 with a transfer of funds from savings of $35,000.00. Motion carried unanimously.
CITIZEN’S CONCERNS: none
PLANNING AND ZONING: The board considered the variance request submitted by Becky Whiting. Supervisor Dahlheimer asked how long the neighbors have owned their property. Ms. Bumgarner replied they purchased the property in 2020.
Dahlheimer, seconded by Wright, made a motion to approve the variance request submitted by Rebecca Whiting with the four conditions listed in the staff report, condition #3 to read: “the proposed deck shall be located no closer to the side yard than 7.4 feet.” Roll: Butz, Wright, Dahlheimer, Eldevik – yes. Opposed: none. Motion carried unanimously.
Oleson reported a DRT meeting has been scheduled for this week to discuss a proposed storage building development off Co Rd 82 SE.
Oleson reported the planning commission had held a public hearing on a conditional use request submitted by John and Marge Spinner and the Broken Arrow Resort Cooperative at their October 24th meeting. It was tabled until their next meeting.
Oleson reported the planning commission is continuing their discussions on shouses and cargo containers.
Oleson reported the situation on Airway Lane has been alleviated somewhat. The landowner has indicated he will remove the dock lifts, will not apply for a permit to house a business on the property, and will downsize the shed. Oleson commented Mr. Wood will need to obtain a stormwater permit. Chairman Eldevik indicated he felt an after-the-fact fee should be assessed due to the lack of a stormwater permit being obtained. Consensus to have Oleson work with Mr. Wood on securing a stormwater permit and ensure a silt fence is installed before freeze-up.
Oleson reported the property on Newman Road once again has a build-up of cars. Consensus to have Oleson contact Kraemer to pick up the vehicles and put them into storage per the court order.
ENGINEER’S REPORT: Wright indicated there are a lot of obstructions in the ditch area by 1804 E. Lake Geneva Road NE. His concern was the lack of a silt fence preventing detritus from entering the lake. Chairman Eldevik stated the town has no easement to alleviate the water issues. Clerk Raisanen stated the ditch is owned by the owners of the lots and is a natural waterway. He reported the town had applied for a grant with the MPCA which, if granted, would allow the town to address this situation.
Chairman Eldevik reported the town needs to address the ditch clean-up on South Lake Jessie Road by freeze-up.
OLD BUSINESS: none
NEW BUSINESS: Clerk Raisanen reported the town has been encountering a number of zoning infractions, necessitating enforcement of our ordinances; in particular, shutting down a project if deemed in violation. Oleson said a common practice is to allow people to do dirt work while awaiting their permit approval.
Consensus that the town needs to be able to issue stop work orders if a project exceeds the original scope and is not in compliance with existing ordinances.
Clerk Raisanen reported the engineering and zoning contracts expire at the end of the year. He asked if they wanted RFP’s or for him to negotiate with the two existing contractors. Consensus to have the clerk negotiate with WSN and Hometown Planning.
Being no further business, Dahlheimer, seconded by Butz, made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Meeting adjourned at 6:58 p.m.
Respectfully submitted….
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Gregg Raisanen, Clerk
Approved this ____ day of ________, 2022
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Rod Eldevik, Chairman