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Okoboji council declines to advance Lake Shore Drive park and parking-lot proposal after neighbors and zoning concerns
Summary
After a zoning analysis found the proposed use would not be permissible under the current zoning ordinance and adjacent residents objected, a motion to refer a plan for a park and parking lot at 1110 Lake Shore Drive died for lack of a second; no formal action was taken to advance the project.
The Okoboji City Council discussed a proposal to create a park and a parking lot at 1110 Lake Shore Drive but did not move the idea forward after hearing objections from nearby residents and a zoning analysis that concluded the proposed use is not allowed under the city's current zoning ordinance.
City Administrator Michael Meyers presented the zoning analysis, which outlined the ordinance constraints and suggested two paths if the council wished to pursue the project: use of existing right-of-way or pursuing a zoning text amendment. Mayor Mary VanderWoude and councilmembers asked questions about precedent and the potential implications of a zoning change.
Councilmember Paul Delperdang argued against the proposal, saying adjacent property owners were not supportive and that the city should not be expected to provide parking for a single business. Delperdang also cited past instances in which the city rejected similar proposals. Councilmember Hoppe agreed with Delperdang and, drawing on her experience as a business owner, said she did not support using public funds to maintain a parking facility that would primarily serve a commercial business.
Several adjacent property owners spoke against the plan. Marilyn Strickland said she opposed the proposal and wanted to preserve the residential character of the neighborhood. Neal Houge described existing parking congestion on busy weekends and said parked vehicles sometimes block his ability to back his boat out of his driveway. Tony Colwell said regularly asking people to move their vehicles was “tiring,” and Debbie Parks suggested traffic could ease following the closure of Okoboji Boat Works.
Michael Jensen, representing the property owner at 1110 Lake Shore Drive, said the concern is about parking 10–15 years in the future and that the property owner viewed the project as an opportunity to address long-term needs now.
Councilmember Hentges moved to refer the proposal to the Planning and Zoning Commission for review; the motion died for lack of a second. Councilmember Katy Andres said that if the council were to consider a zoning text amendment the process would be lengthy and that it might be preferable to revisit the idea in the summer when more residents could participate.
With no second on the referral motion and no alternative direction from the council, the proposal will not advance at this time. The council may revisit the matter in a future meeting if members seek to place it on a future agenda for formal review.
