Morrison County board approves variance to place shed inside lakeshore setback at 30995 East Cottonwood

The Morrison County Board of Adjustment on Sept. 30 approved a variance allowing a new 8-by-12-foot (96-square-foot) storage shed at 30995 East Cottonwood, placing the structure inside the property-line and shore setbacks. The approval includes conditions that three existing storage structures and a wooden deck be removed and that no fill be placed in the former shed area; the board set May 31, 2026, as the cleanup deadline.

The variance was requested by property owner Sheila Motzko during the Board of Adjustment public hearing. Land Services staff reported the lot is a nonconforming single lot (107.89 feet wide, 10,505 square feet) with no existing building envelope. Staff said the county ordinance sections cited require a 75-foot setback from the lake, a 10-foot side-yard setback and a 40-foot right-of-way setback, and that the proposal would remove three existing storage structures totaling 128 square feet and replace them with a single 96-square-foot shed sited 5 feet from the north property line, about 50 feet from the lake and about 30 feet from the right-of-way as presented in the application.

Board members who visited the site said the proposed shed is a smaller footprint than the existing collection of structures and would be moved farther away from the lake and out of the shore impact zone. "You're dropping that 30 (square feet) ... The location of it is a lot better," Board member Clint said during the deliberation. Board member Marv said the sandy soil and existing site conditions made the relocation reasonable and that removal of the old structures and deck would improve the property’s shoreline function.

Members discussed whether the existing sheds were legally established and noted Land Services would research that separately. The board added two conditions to the approval: all three older storage sheds and the wooden deck/patio shall be removed and the disturbed area seeded rather than filled, and runoff or fill must not be directed into the neighbor's property. The applicant agreed to apply for a building permit at any time but must meet the May 31, 2026 cleanup deadline to satisfy the conditions.

A motion to approve the variance was made by Clint and seconded by Brent; the motion passed unanimously with all members voting in favor.

The board urged the applicant to continue working with Land Services on permits and compliance steps. No public commenters spoke in opposition during the hearing, though the staff read several written comments into the record from nearby property owners raising concerns about historic lot rights, past permitting and shoreline overcrowding. Those written comments were considered by the board in their deliberations and are part of the record.