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Developer seeks shoreland deviations for Shores of Marsh Lake addition; council discusses emergency access
Summary
A sketch plat for a five‑lot addition to the Shores of Marsh Lake neighborhood was presented; the developer seeks planned‑unit deviations from shoreland lot size, width and setbacks. Staff said the plan mimics adjacent development and an emergency access/gate and utility extensions are key issues for future review.
City planner Brian McCann presented a sketch plat for a small addition to the Shores of Marsh Lake neighborhood that would create five new single‑family lots within shoreland overlay and asked the council for feedback on planned‑unit development (PUD) deviations.
McCann said the overall set of parcels totals about 42 acres but the immediate project area is roughly six acres; all five proposed lots sit within the 1,000‑foot shoreland overlay and the applicant requests a residential shoreland PUD to deviate from standard shoreland minimums. The developer’s requested deviations include 10,000‑square‑foot lots and a 65‑foot lot width (versus the city’s shoreland standard previously cited as 20,000 sq ft and 125‑ft width), reduced front and side setbacks, and an adjusted approach to impervious surface allowances to match the adjoining neighborhood.
Why it matters: The project is a technical extension of an existing development and would use the PUD process to blend housing products. McCann noted the PUD tier analysis allows up to 14 units under the code; the applicant proposes six, well under that threshold. McCann and the city engineer recommended utilities be extended to the property line and noted an outlot is reserved for future County Road 43 right‑of‑way. Park dedication for the five new units was estimated at about $24,500 cash‑in‑lieu.
Council and public discussion focused on emergency access, buffers and timing. The fire department requested an emergency access connection with a gated entrance to County Road 43; council members and staff discussed the possibility of an automatic gate versus a standard emergency gate and the city’s practice that gates may be breached by emergency responders if necessary. Council members also discussed whether sidewalks should be required on both sides of the project street (the developer proposes one‑side sidewalks in keeping with existing neighborhood practice) and whether proposed setbacks and lot sizes appropriately match the adjacent neighborhood character.
Applicant representatives said the lots were contemplated in the original ghost plat for the neighborhood but financing and title/trust timing delayed formal submittal. “This would have been part of the original project,” said the developer’s representative, describing the timing and trust‑related delay in making the parcels available.
What’s next: No formal action was taken on the Shores of Marsh Lake sketch plat. Staff said they will continue technical coordination on utility extension, emergency access design and PUD standards; any preliminary plat or rezoning would return to the council for public hearing and formal vote.
