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Stearns Planning Commission backs shoreland permit for Rice Lake retaining walls, with conditions
Summary
The Stearns County Planning Commission voted 5–2 on Oct. 23 to recommend approval of a major shoreland alteration permit for property owner Mitch Mickelson that would add three retaining walls and about 100 cubic yards of grading near Rice Lake, with requirements for erosion controls and native vegetation.
The Stearns County Planning Commission on Oct. 23 recommended that the County Board approve a major shoreland alteration permit allowing three retaining walls and related grading near Rice Lake on property owned by Mitch Mickelson in Eden Lake Township.
The commission’s vote, 5–2, follows a staff report, conservation-district comments and public testimony. The recommended permit would allow three retaining walls located on steep slope within the shore impact zone, limited excavation and a requirement for silt fencing and a native-seeding plan as conditions of approval. The county board will review the commission’s recommendation on Nov. 4.
Why it matters: The work lies inside the shore impact zone of Rice Lake and in mapped floodplain. Commission members and the Stearns Conservation District discussed potential effects on runoff and whether the project addresses an existing erosion problem. Because the work is on a steep slope that runs directly from the house to the lake, commissioners said safeguards are needed to limit sediment delivery to the water.
Staff described the proposal as a major shoreland alteration under Sections 10.2.14(d) and 10.2.14 of…
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