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Planning commission backs PUD for Minnetonka Yacht Club building on Bug Island, extends hours to 10:30 p.m.
Summary
The commission recommended rezoning Bug Island to a Planned Unit Development to allow a small clubhouse and patio for the Minnetonka Yacht Club, and recommended extending permitted hours from 6:00 a.m.–9:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.–10:30 p.m.; the minutes contain inconsistent zoning labels for the island.
The Deephaven Planning Commission on April 21 recommended the City Council rezone Bug Island (19450 Park Avenue) to a Planned Unit Development to allow the Minnetonka Yacht Club to construct a 30-foot by 16.5-foot clubhouse and a roughly 700-square-foot patio for gear storage, shelter from sudden storms, and pre/post‑race gatherings.
Club representatives, including Mark Bury and Tara Engebreston, said membership patterns have shifted and many members now store boats on Bug Island; they told the commission the shelter would not include restrooms or grid electricity and that lighting would be minimal and solar-powered. The club asked also to align permitted hours for island use; after discussion the commission recommended extending hours from 6:00 a.m.–9:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.–10:30 p.m. Motion to recommend the rezoning and hours change carried 7-0.
Commissioners asked practical questions about enforcement and operations. Pat Smith, planning staff, told the commission there are no restrooms on Bug Island and that users would be directed to use facilities on Lighthouse Island. Commissioners and club representatives discussed enforcement by complaint and whether Bug Island’s hours should precisely match those of Lighthouse Island; staff said differing PUD conditions can produce different rules across islands.
Minutes inconsistency: The meeting minutes refer at one point to the island’s zoning as R-3 and later record the motion to rezone from R-2 to PUD3. The minutes do not resolve that discrepancy; reporting here reflects the commission’s recorded recommendation to rezone the island and to extend operating hours. Reporters or staff preparing Council materials should confirm the island’s current zoning classification with city staff before drafting ordinance language.
What happens next: The commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to City Council for formal rezoning and PUD conditions. The council packet should clarify the existing zoning classification and the precise PUD text to be adopted.
Sources: Deephaven Planning Commission minutes, April 21, 2026. All attributions are drawn from speakers listed in the minutes.
