Detroit Lakes planning panel denies Shorewood garage setback, approves multiple plats and permits

The Detroit Lakes Planning Commission on Monday denied a request for a front-yard variance for a garage at 600 Shorewood Drive while approving several other land-use items, including a conditional-use permit to relocate an existing guest cottage, a variance to allow a deck closer to the water at 1183 Long Beach Drive, preliminary plats and a revised site plan for Providence Lakes.

Staff recommended denial of Sam Larson’s request for a 14-foot roadside setback for a 30-by-40-foot attached garage, saying the applicant had alternatives and had not shown a practical difficulty. Larry, a city staff member who presented the item, told the commission, “I do not feel that the applicant has demonstrated a practical difficulty to justify a variance,” and listed safety concerns including vehicles projecting into the right of way. No members of the public spoke for the variance; the commission voted to deny…