Board of Adjustment grants variance for screened porch addition at Caribou Lake property, omits standard gutter condition

The Cook County Board of Adjustment on Aug. 13 approved a variance allowing an addition — a 10‑by‑19‑foot covered scribe porch with a partially covered 6‑by‑10‑foot deck — to be constructed at 112 Peninsula Point Trail on Caribou Lake, reducing the ordinary high water level setback to 88 feet where a 100‑foot setback is required.

Tim (staff member) told the board the main cabin dates to 1938 and functions as an existing legal nonconforming structure. The property measures roughly 2.4 acres with about 290 feet of shoreline. Staff noted the proposal exceeds the county’s 2003 nonconforming deck allowance because the project includes a roofed, screened porch; therefore the applicant sought a variance rather than administrative deck approval.

Rita and Glenn Helgeson, the applicants, said they are members of the Caribou Lake Property Owners Association and described the addition as sympathetic to the existing structure and necessary for accessibility and mosquito protection. Rita Helgeson said the porch would allow single‑level living and easier access after knee replacements and added, "we intend with everything we design and do to be true to those values."

Public comment was limited and supportive: John Bell (130 Peninsula Point) wrote to the file expressing no opposition and stating the request "is tasteful and does not negatively impact the neighbors," while an in‑person neighbor also spoke in favor. The Cook County Soil and Water Conservation District provided a technical memo noting Caribou Lake’s good water‑quality trend and recommended stormwater management and maintenance of shoreline vegetation; the DNR hydrologist reported the application was not controversial.

Board discussion focused on shoreline protections, the 2003 nonconforming deck standards and stormwater management. One commissioner noted the decades‑long practice of adding a condition requiring gutters to manage runoff; another commissioner with stormwater expertise objected, saying gutters can concentrate flows and make erosion worse if not properly treated. The board concurred to remove that ad hoc gutter condition (staff condition #6) but asked that stormwater not be ignored, suggesting the applicant address runoff in a manner that does not concentrate flows.

The board approved the variance by motion, with the conditions recommended by staff except for condition number 6 (the ad hoc gutters requirement). Conditions that remain include compliance with Minnesota Rules Chapter 7080 and Cook County septic requirements, obtaining all necessary permits before construction, that construction conform to the approved plans, maintenance of shoreline vegetation and screening, limiting turfgrass in the shore impact zone to paths and recreational areas, and that the proposed screened porch not be enclosed as living space.

The board’s decision notes the addition likely will not be highly visible from the lake because of existing tree cover and that approval would maintain the character of the locality. The variance record includes the written support from adjacent owners and the Caribou Lake Property Owners Association's statement that it does not oppose the request but requests stormwater management and shoreline vegetation protections.

The applicant may proceed after securing required permits and septic approvals; the board’s order and conditions will be recorded in the Board of Adjustment minutes and permit file.