Board approves variance to replace shed at Cascade Lake with conditions

On March 11, 2026, the Cook County Board of Adjustment unanimously approved a variance allowing a property owner to replace an existing shed and add a small front deck at 1833 The Grade on Cascade Lake, reducing the lake shoreline setback to an approved 66 feet under conditions.

The board acted after staff presented the request for relief from Cook County Zoning Ordinance setback requirements for a natural environment lake and explained that the 62.21-acre parcel is the only privately owned property with Cascade Lake frontage. Staff said winter conditions and dense shoreline vegetation prevented an on-site measurement during processing, so a conservative 66-foot figure was established from desktop aerial data pending field verification.

"The proposal has instead been evaluated using available desktop data," said Neva Maxwell, the staff member who presented the report, noting the need for a field visit before construction. Maxwell reviewed prior approvals for the property, including a December 14, 2022 variance that allowed demolition and rebuilding of the primary dwelling, and emphasized environmental safeguards required by county rules and Minnesota Rule 780.

The applicant, identified in the staff report as Aried, told the board the work is the last step in a multi-year process. "It's been a journey, you know, three years since we got our first variance and we just spent our first night in the new cabin this past Sunday," the applicant said, adding the new shed will store kayaks, canoes and yard furniture and that the old circa-1920 structure was deteriorated.

Board members who had viewed the site or seen it from the lake described the proposal as modest and compatible with the existing cabin. One member said, "I have seen the site. I occasionally fish Cascade Lake," and supported approval provided staff verifies the setback in the field.

The variance was approved with conditions recommended by staff: prior to construction land services must verify that the proposed shed location meets the approved 66-foot setback from the ordinary high water level or the point where terrestrial vegetation begins; the structure is authorized solely as accessory storage (no sleeping quarters or guest cabin use); and the land use permit must match the approved dimensions and use specified in the application.

The board closed public comment without hearing any speakers. Next procedural step: land services staff will perform on-site verification of the setback before the applicant may commence construction.