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Commission narrowly recommends Jones rezoning near Lake Moriah despite comp‑plan concerns
Summary
Stearns County planners recommended forwarding Carol and Clark Jones’s request to rezone 40.5 acres (AG‑40 to R‑10) near Lake Moriah to the County Board by a 3–2 vote after debate about shoreline overlay, rural character and spot zoning; the LISA score was 39.05 and Linden Township recommended approval.
The Stearns County Planning Commission voted 3–2 to recommend that the County Board consider rezoning roughly 40.5 acres owned by Carol and Clark Jones from AG‑40 to R‑10 in Linden Township, a property that abuts Crooked Lake and Lake Moriah and lies in a shoreland overlay.
Staff said the property is wooded with wetlands, currently has one home and that if the entire 40.5 acres is rezoned to R‑10 the owner would be entitled to four residential units (or up to six lots if a cluster development is used). The staff LISA score reported for the property was 39.05, well below the department’s 65 threshold. Linden Township recommended approval.
Applicant Carol Jones told the commission she and her family plan to sell their existing homestead with 10 acres and build a more manageable home on the rezoned land in the future, citing age and the practical difficulty of maintaining a three‑story house. Commissioners pressed why the application requested R‑10 rather than R‑5; Jones said township guidance and future flexibility informed her choice.
Several commissioners raised concerns that rezoning the full 40 to R‑10 could materially change the rural character of the area and constitutes spot zoning. Supporters noted that surrounding areas already include mixed residential densities and that the ordinance permits such rezoning. The commission approved the recommendation to forward the rezoning to the County Board by roll call; the County Board will consider the item on December 2.
