St. Louis County authorizes civil court action to enforce zoning at Lake Vermilion property

St. Louis County on Sept. 2 authorized civil court action under Minnesota Statutes §394.37, subdivision 3, seeking a court order to stop alleged zoning violations by property owner Christine Wierobick related to campsites on parcels at Lake Vermilion.

Assistant County Attorney Nick Campanario told the board county staff had used administrative steps to secure compliance “for the past several years” and that the property remained noncompliant. “We have done the things that we usually do, we've even done things that we don't usually do, and all to no avail, and so at this point we feel like we have no choice but to initiate court action,” Campanario said.

County staff notified the property owner in advance of the meeting. Campanario read a brief statement from the owner’s newly retained counsel, Chris Hines of Saint Paul, who told the county he hoped the parties could reach a resolution “short of litigation” but said settlement would require a change in the owner’s position.

The board voted to authorize the litigation; the motion was moved by Commissioner McDonald and supported by Commissioner Nelson. County administrators said the action seeks injunctive relief to prevent, restrain, correct or abate alleged zoning violations.

The authorization permits the county attorney to file a civil enforcement action if a negotiated settlement is not reached. The board did not set a hearing date at the meeting; staff said they would pursue settlement talks and, if necessary, move forward with court filings under the referenced state statute.