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Board approves bluff‑setback addition for Skea property after prior variance considered
Summary
The Board granted Mark Skea’s request to add a 14x4 addition to an existing nonconforming dwelling that previously received a bluff setback variance; members cited limited disturbance with pier foundations and drainage constraints tied to a neighborhood culvert as supporting practical difficulties.
The Morrison County Board of Adjustment approved a variance that allows Mark Skea to add a 14‑by‑4‑foot addition to a previously permitted, nonconforming dwelling on a bluff at Pine Lake.
Amy, Land Services staff, said the parcel is a duplex‑sized lot in Elmdale Township that received a previous variance in 2019 permitting the dwelling to be constructed 23 feet from the top of the bluff. The proposed addition will meet the bluff setback although the existing dwelling remains in its earlier, varianced location. Staff cited ordinance section 706.1B.
At the site visit board members observed limited vegetation disturbance and a steep bank; Skea told the board he plans to use piers for the addition “so there’s not going to be a lot of moved dirt,” minimizing soil disturbance near large hardwood roots. Board members also cited drainage constraints tied to a roadside culvert that channels neighborhood runoff into the low area on his lot; the culvert and original placement were discussed as part of the practical difficulty justification for earlier and current relief.
After reviewing the ordinance criteria — including uniqueness of the bluff location, prior variance history and the minimal foundation disturbance proposed — the board voted unanimously to approve the variance. The board reminded the applicant that any future attachments or expansions will require separate review because the structure remains nonconforming.
What happens next: The variance is approved; the applicant must obtain any necessary building permits and rely on the county’s standard construction and erosion‑control requirements before work begins.
