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Board grants small bluff‑setback variance for Greenwood Lake cabin addition
Summary
A variance was approved allowing an 8x12 screened porch addition at 1753 Greenwood Lake Road with a reduced top‑of‑bluff setback of 20 feet (30 feet required); staff attached conditions on drainage, septic compliance and not placing components closer than 20 feet to the top of bluff.
The Board of Adjustment approved a variance permitting an 8‑by‑12 screened porch addition to an existing cabin at 1753 Greenwood Lake Road, reducing the top‑of‑bluff setback to 20 feet where 30 feet is normally required.
Staff said the 1‑acre parcel contains limited conforming building areas because of a large bluff feature and wetlands; the original cabin had been permitted in 2023 with a 20‑foot setback and the proposed porch would be built on rebar sonotubes with gutters and other drainage features designed to limit impacts. Staff recommended conditions including drainage management, compliance with Minnesota Rule 7080 and county septic requirements, and a firm 20‑foot minimum measurement from the top of bluff as determined by a Cook County land‑use specialist.
Applicant Michael Stapleton appeared and explained he delayed construction after a 2023 variance because of a medical issue; he described minimal vegetation removal and construction over bedrock using sonotubes. Board members discussed prior wetland mitigation on the property and constrained buildable locations. A member moved to approve the variance with staff recommendations and findings; the motion was seconded and the board approved the staff conditions as part of the action.
Conditions require drainage features to direct runoff away from the bluff and lake and compliance with septic rules before permitting.
