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Neighbors press Minnetrista council on Tonka Auto Marine operation; decision postponed to Dec. 2
Summary
Several Minnetrista residents urged the council Nov. 18 to deny or closely condition an interim-use/land-use request for a marine/auto business that neighbors say cleared wooded land and now stores dozens of boats and trucks. Council postponed the determination to Dec. 2 and will review additional information after public testimony.
The Minnetrista City Council on Nov. 18 heard more than an hour of public testimony from neighbors concerned about a marine/auto operation on Sunnyfield Road and surrounding properties, then postponed a land-use determination to Dec. 2, 2024 to allow additional review.
Residents said the business operating as Tonka Auto Marine (and related operations) has cleared wooded areas, added aggregate and is storing dozens of boats and trucks — far more than prior, smaller-scale uses on the property. Jim Samuelson (1105 Sunnyfield Road N) said the site now displays “more than a dozen large boats wrapped in bright white plastic” and that he understood the site currently holds about 50 boats and trucks with the potential to expand to 100. He described the operation as commercial rather than agricultural or a small home business and raised concerns about road impacts and ecological risks, saying some stored vehicles may leak oil or fuel into nearby marsh and creek.
Mike Entinger (1305 Blair Road) flagged wetland and watershed concerns, saying the site drains toward Dutch Lake and that disturbance of the site’s cover and added fill risked harming drainage and filtration areas. He also praised local police for responding to a separate neighborhood-safety issue.
Pete Wiley (1250 Game Farm Circle) showed packet photos and aerial images (requested to be displayed) and described a sharp visual change from a wooded lot to visible rows of boats. Multiple residents submitted written comments included in the council packet; council members said they had received and read those letters.
Mayor Lisa Wheeler told speakers the applicant had requested an extension; the council agreed to listen to testimony that night but not to decide. Councilmember Claudia Lacey moved to postpone the determination to a date certain, Dec. 2, 2024; the motion was seconded and passed by voice vote, 4-0. Council asked staff to assemble additional information for the December meeting, including verification of land use, buildability, prior site uses, and any applicable environmental or wetland protections.
Speakers asked the council to consider zoning and the scale of commercial operations in a residential-agricultural area, and several asked for stricter enforcement if the use proceeds. The council reiterated the applicant may update or withdraw their application and that neighbors would have another opportunity to speak at the Dec. 2 meeting.
