Tower Planning and Zoning again hears campground plans
TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2019 — The Planning Commission held its first, short-handed, meeting of 2019 on Tuesday of this week. Commission members, Chairman Steve Altenburg, City Councilor Kevin Fitton and Morgan Carlon were on hand, however the other Commission members, new City Councilor Steve Abrahamson and Joleen Herberg did not attend the meeting.
Over the past several years Gary and Charity Ross have wanted to obtain a permit to build a campground on 58 acres of land they own, fronting Pike Bay, within the city limits of Tower. Two years ago they applied for a conditional use permit, but that permit was rejected as being incomplete at that time. This week they returned to the Tower Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, along with Julia Maki, to again discuss their project and seek advice on how they can best proceed. Maki has a lot of past experience in planning, having served both St. Louis County and Greenwood Township. She currently works as a real estate agent with B.I.C. Realty, Cook.
Gary Ross explained that he had prepared preliminary plans, delineating a potential 60 sites, for a recreational vehicle (camper) park he hopes to locate on county tax parcels 080-0020-00100 and 080-0020-00110.
“Because it looks like the development is within one-thousand feet of the ordinary high-water mark,” Chairman Altenburg explained, “The shore land ordinance applies.” This would require the Rosses to have the land delineated to determine wetlands in anticipation of completing an Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) and complete public review. In addition plans identifying lakeshore and property line setbacks, water and sewer infrastructure and identifying development density need to be submitted, according to Altenburg and City Clerk-Treasurer Linda Keith. An archaeological survey may also be required by the state, Keith said.
Charity Ross explained that they intended to develop their campground in phases, “We would like to be able to start this year with some self-contained (water and sewer) units.”
The Rosses can already have up to four campsites on their land, before zoning considers the property a RV park, both Altenburg and Keith explained.
When the Rosses asked how long the entire process might take, Keith said that she thought 120 days—following the submission of an application—would be a realistic timeline, given the publication notices and public input timelines required on the EAW.
“Details, details, details,” Fitton encouraged the Rosses to submit a detailed application, including language outlining their plans for phasing, indicating that it would aid the process to proceed as quickly as possible.
“All the information you are looking for can be verified, this is just the site plan,” Maki told the commission as she verified the additional components required to complete the conditional use permit application.
“Can I build a home there?” Gary Ross asked. Keith assured him he could, “just by applying following regular building permit process.”
There is, without question, a general consensus in the city that Tower’s zoning ordinance(s) need considerable work and Planning has slowly been working on identifying issues in the governing documents. The commission entertained extensive conversation focused on Tower’s ordinance compared to what is considered development-friendly St. Louis County land-use policies. “If you want to have development in the city, you should not be more restrictive than the county,” Jeff Hill said.
The Planning Commission, however, tabled an unfinished business agenda item: Ordinance 82 Updates.
Completing the only other task on its agenda the Planning and Zoning Commission determined that it would order gray garage doors for the Tower Area Economic Development Association building under construction.