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Council adopts Shoreland Overlay ordinance 1603 with new buffers and standards
Summary
The council approved ordinance 1603 after Planning Commission recommendation, changing lot-size and impervious-surface standards and adding required natural shoreland buffers on lakeshore properties that exceed 20% impervious surface.
The Brainerd City Council conducted the final reading and adopted Ordinance 1603 on June 15 to update the Shoreland Overlay District. Staff said the Planning Commission reviewed the proposal, held a public hearing and unanimously recommended approval.
Key changes include lowered lot-size requirements and increased impervious-surface allowances for some non-lake properties (notably in Northeast Brainerd) while introducing a stricter requirement for lakeshore properties that already exceed 20% impervious surface: future projects above 160 square feet will be required to install or maintain natural shoreland buffers. The DNR provided conditional approval, and staff said they negotiated the changes to balance development flexibility in non-lakeshore neighborhoods with stronger protections on lakefront parcels.
Council voted in favor of the ordinance and then approved a resolution for summary publication. The ordinance will be published per the approved summary and staff will proceed with implementation steps tied to updated code and permitting.
