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Commission reviews lakefront setback options, considers historic lot exceptions
Summary
Staff presented comparative setback data from neighboring counties and proposed using platting dates and variance averages to determine whether older, smaller lots should have reduced setbacks; commissioners discussed measurement references (highest known watermark vs. ordinary high water mark) and site elevation considerations.
Commission staff reviewed setback distances used by neighboring counties and discussed options for updating Brookings County’s Lake Park District standards. Staff noted Brookings County currently uses a 75‑foot standard measured from the highest known watermark and suggested a possible cutoff by historical platting date (for example, using 1970/1974 as a breakpoint) to treat older, smaller lots differently.
Staff said they had built a database of variances granted at lakes since about 2015 to analyze average setback distances and suggested elevation/site‑by‑site considerations could inform a tailored approach. “Brookings County, we’re at 75,” a staff member said while summarizing current practice. Commissioners and staff debated whether to measure from the ordinary high water mark or the highest known watermark and noted FEMA maps and actual site elevations can differ by many feet, which complicates a single uniform metric.
