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Board of Adjustment approves side‑yard variance for Sugar Beach lot to allow primary residence
Summary
The Board of Adjustment approved a variance to place a new primary residence 25 feet from the side lot line on Lot 11 of the Sugar Beach plat, where the RCR zone requires a 50‑foot side yard setback. The board attached standard conditions including septic permits under Minnesota Rules Chapter 7080 and required permits before construction.
Cook County’s Board of Adjustment on Aug. 13 approved a variance allowing a new residential structure to be set 25 feet from the side lot line on Lot 11 of the Sugar Beach plat (address listed in files), a reduced side yard setback in the Resort Commercial Residential (RCR) zone where 50 feet is normally required.
Tim (staff member) presented the request, explaining the lot is a preexisting, legal nonconforming lot created in 1984 and that the parcel contains about 1.1–1.41 acres with roughly 211 feet of Lake Superior shoreline. Staff told the board the RCR zoning carries larger minimum lot and setback standards intended for resort uses; many lots in the plat are smaller than current RCR minima and the board was asked to consider whether that historic zoning and plat constitute a practical difficulty.
The applicant, Timothy William Williamson, said he has owned the parcel for 38 years and has lived in a small finished space over a garage. He said the proposed building location was chosen to preserve mature conifer trees and to provide a more suitable full‑time residence. He told the board most neighboring properties have structures closer to lot lines and that rezoning to R‑1 had been discussed but not pursued.
Public comment included a written note from a nearby property owner expressing no objection and an in‑person statement of support from a neighbor. The Minnesota DNR submitted no comment; Cook County Soil and Water and Environmental Health reviewed the project. Environmental Health recommended that, prior to occupation, a new septic permit and certificate of compliance be obtained in accordance with Minnesota Rules Chapter 7080 and Cook County septic ordinance.
Board members discussed whether the RCR standards — set for larger lots and resort uses — created a practical difficulty for historically platted small lots and whether the requested location preserved trees and neighborhood character. Several board members said the request was consistent with surrounding development and supported approval.
The board approved the variance by motion with staff’s recommended conditions, which include compliance with Minnesota Rules Chapter 7080 and Cook County septic requirements, installation of approved septic systems prior to occupancy, submission of required land‑use permits before construction, and adherence to the plans approved by the Board of Adjustment at the Aug. 13 meeting. Staff noted the option of a future, broader rezoning for the Sugar Beach area but said no rezoning application was filed in this case.
The applicant may proceed once county building and septic permits are obtained and Environmental Health issues the required compliance certificates.
