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Morrison County board approves after‑the‑fact variance to keep guest quarters at Liss lake property
Summary
The Morrison County Board of Adjustment approved an after‑the‑fact variance allowing a 213 sq ft guest quarter in an accessory structure on an undersized lot at Lake Alexander, provided the septic is upgraded to serve the added bedroom and future plumbing or lodging use follows separate codes.
The Morrison County Board of Adjustment approved an after‑the‑fact variance that allows Anthony Liss to retain a 213‑square‑foot guest quarter inside a detached accessory structure on his Lake Alexander parcel.
Land Services staff told the board that the detached 40x60 structure was permitted for storage but contains unpermitted living quarters; staff cited ordinance section 707.5 and said the lot is nonconforming (100 feet of frontage, about 95,000 square feet). Amy, Land Services staff, said the guest quarter “are 213 square ft, which is less than the 10% allowance,” but that county code counts the guest quarter as an additional bedroom and the septic system must be sized accordingly.
During the hearing, board members noted the unit contains one queen bed and multiple bunks and pressed whether septic capacity should be expanded beyond the one additional bedroom that county policy requires. Amy explained county code assumes two people per bedroom for septic calculations and that ‘‘if they plumb the building, then our septic code kicks in’’ and additional permitting and public‑health standards would apply.
The applicant confirmed the staff report and acknowledged he relied on contractor advice during construction. Board members cited contractor error as a contributing factor; one member noted the county learned of the living quarters because a third party reported it. Liss told the board he had retained an attorney to follow up and said he planned to contact his contractor to share the outcome.
After the board found the required criteria met — including that the practical difficulty was tied to lot configuration and prior actions — a motion to approve the variance was seconded and carried unanimously. The board and staff specified that septic capacity must be increased to serve the addition (the existing system is sized for four bedrooms; the applicant must address service for the additional bedroom) and that any future conversion to lodging or any plumbing changes would require separate permits and public‑health approval.
The board advised the owner to contact Land Services before undertaking any additional work.
What happens next: The variance is approved; the applicant must meet the septic-sizing requirement and obtain any additional permits if the space is plumbed or used as lodging.
