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Morrison County board denies Waters’ request to expand lakeside home
Summary
The Morrison County Board of Adjustment on June 23 denied a variance request from Justin and Lori Waters to expand a nonconforming lakeside dwelling and attach new living space within the shore impact zone and setback, citing scale, multiple variances, and impervious-surface concerns.
The Morrison County Board of Adjustment on June 23 rejected a variance request from Justin and Lori Waters to expand a nonconforming dwelling on Piers Fish Lake.
Amy, a land services staff member, told the board the proposal had been revised since the packet: the planned 12-by-12 area is now an enclosed porch rather than a deck and the project includes a second story and several additions that would place parts of the house within the county’s 75-foot lake setback and the 50-foot shore impact zone. The staff report listed the existing dwelling as about 816 square feet and described proposed additions including a second level, a 612-square-foot main-floor addition and a 624-square-foot attached garage; staff said the applicants would need to remove roughly 380 square feet of impervious surface to meet county limits.
During deliberations board members repeatedly raised the scale of the project and the number of variances requested. "This is a pretty large ask," the chair said while walking through the findings of fact, adding that the proposal "is nearly four times the size" of the existing house and does not align with the intent of the Morrison County land-use ordinance to protect shoreline and limit impervious surface. Members questioned whether the applicants had shown a property-specific practical difficulty that would justify variances.
Tony Callhammer, who said he built the original building, spoke during public comment in support of the Waters, stating that earlier county checks at the time of construction had allowed prior work and that "when I put the sewer in... they told me then that I could build on to the thing." The board acknowledged the historical context but said it must apply current ordinance standards when ruling on variances.
The board conducted roll-call votes on the required findings of fact and then on a motion to approve the variance; all voting members recorded "no," and the motion failed. The chair told the Waters applicants they may contact Land Services during business hours to discuss alternatives and resubmission options.
Next steps: the Waters applicants were advised to consult Land Services on possible redesigns, alternative permit paths, or resubmission with different plans.
