Board approves split of two contiguous Cedar Island Lake lots despite DNR opposition; township agreement for alternate septic noted

The Stearns County Board of Adjustment voted to allow the separation of two contiguous lots on Cedar Island Lake that would result in two substandard parcels, a decision the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources had recommended denying.

The applicants—represented by Gail Vinge for the Bernadine J. Weller Revocable Trust—asked the board to split two contiguous parcels (described in the staff packet as Parcel A and Parcel B) so each could be sold or developed separately. Staff said the proposed Parcel A would be 18,218 square feet with a width of 110 feet, and Parcel B would be 17,719 square feet with a width of 97 feet. The staff report noted the ordinance minimum for the lake’s Shoreland Overlay is 40,000 square feet, and that the combined acreage of the two parcels is about 35,937 square feet, below the 40,000‑square‑foot threshold.

Why it mattered: State and county shoreland rules generally require two potential septic sites within a dwelling lot and disallow splitting contiguous lots under single ownership where resulting lots fail to meet minimum standards. The DNR submitted written comments recommending denial,…