Local officials set sail to learn about shorelines and development

Picture this scenario. You’ve recently joined your community’s planning commission and are asked to review a redevelopment proposal for a lakeshore property in town. The applicant has purchased a small home located close to the water and would like to tear it down and replace it with a new, much larger house. The current proposal does not meet your local shoreland ordinance, but could move forward if your committee votes to approve the variances requested. Pat, the applicant, has always dreamed of living on a lake and has already paid an architect several thousand dollars to design their dream home. What should you do?

^{Pat just bought a small home on the lake and wants to tear it down to build a new, much larger house.}
^{Should the local township approve the proposal?}

Local officials, such as city councils, planning commissions, township boards, and county commissioners, set the vision for what a community looks like now and in the future. Though council packets are usually filled with individual requests for variances and conditional use permits, local leaders also have the power to establish policies and create comprehensive plans that will guide development for decades to come. Should new homes and businesses be concentrated in a central district or spread evenly across the landscape? Is it possible to grow without losing a sense of community? What strategies could be employed to help protect lakes, rivers, forests and wildlife?

^{This short 10-min video introduces local decision-makers to conservation development and strategies they can use to guide growth in their communities.}

On June 24, local decision-makers from Minnesota and Wisconsin gathered for the 16^th Annual St. Croix River Workshop on the Water, a learning event designed to help communities establish policies, practices, and programs to better protect their water resources. This year’s workshop focused specifically on St. Croix Riverway Rules, strategies for dealing with sticky issues and variance requests, and better site design for development and redevelopment projects.

Currently, Washington is one of the top ten fastest growing counties in Minnesota, and the development boom is spilling over into southern Chisago County as well. There was a 28% increase in property values in northern Washington County in 2022, and the cities of Lake Elmo (1), Lindstrom (2), and Stillwater (9) are among the hottest housing markets in the state. Growth helps to support local businesses, fund public services, and keep our communities vibrant, but can also fracture habitat corridors and cause stormwater runoff pollution.

^{Above: Local decision-makers from Minnesota and Wisconsin gathered for the 16th Annual St. Croix River Workshop on the Water on June 24.}

One of the goals of the St. Croix River Workshop on the Water is to help local leaders connect with resources available through organizations such as the National Park Service and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MDNR). For example, cities, townships, and counties can adopt the MDNR’s Model Shoreland Ordinance to guide development and redevelopment near lakes and rivers. In addition, they can also tap into grants and technical assistance from their area Watershed Districts to complete projects such as raingardens, bluff stabilization, and lake or stream restoration.

@mnnature_awesomeness
Here are two strategies we’re recommending for small town and growing communities to better protect land and water: 1) Adopt ordinaces that allow for and encourage conservation style development 2) Take action to limit shoreline development. Enjoy some fun photos from our recent St Croix River Workshop on the Water. Some by me and some by Maggie Karschnia at UMN Extension. #minnesota #stcroixriver #conservation #development #smalltown
♬ original sound – Angie Hong

The St. Croix River workshop also provides an opportunity for communities to celebrate success and learn from one another. In 2023, participants learned what actions helped to remove Lily Lake (Stillwater) and North and South Center Lakes (Chisago County) from the state’s impaired waters list. This year, speakers shared examples of single lot and neighborhood-scale projects designed to preserve natural habitat and minimize stormwater runoff. Participants said they enjoyed networking with one another and participating in interactive, small-group activities, including one in which they reviewed and discussed a shoreline development proposal similar to the one described above.