Most of Monday’s Palmer Twp. Board meeting centered around a Palmer family and their bid to build a new home on Briggs Lake.

 

Chris and Deb Perkins of 11177 42nd St. attended Monday’s meeting in a quest to have six variances allowed for the construction of a new, two-story home on property they currently live on.

 

The plan, according to the Perkins's, is to build a new home and garage near the place a home and garage currently sits. They have been living on the property for the last five years owned by another couple in a “contract-for-deed” situation. Since the home was built prior to modern ordinances to protect wildlife, waterways and vegetation, the home precedes the current ordinance that requires a 200-ft. setback from roads, creeks and lakes.

 

The variances Perkins was asking for basically halves most of those requirements.

 

Variance one was a floodplain driveway elevation variance because the road is below the floodplain and Perkins needs the variance to allow for the driveway.

 

Variance two requests a 187-ft. variance in setbacks from the ordinary hwy water level (OHWL) of Briggs Creek South  to put in the driveway (required setback is 200-ft.).

 

Variance three is a 144-ft. variance in setback from the ordinary hwy water level (OHWL) of Briggs Creek North to build the driveway (required setback is 200-ft.).

 

Variance four is a 149.97-ft. variance in setback from the  (OHWL) of Briggs Creek North to construct a new residence (required setback is 200-ft.).

 

Variance five is a 147.47-ft. variance in setback from the (OHWL) of Briggs Creek South to construct a new residence (required setback is 200-ft.).

 

Variance six is a variance in setback from the (OHWL) of Briggs Lake to construct a new residence (required setback is 100-ft.).

 

The Palmer  supervisors reviewed an overhead that detailed the proposed area dimensions, placement and descriptions of the intent for the variances. The property has two creeks to the south and north of the property and Briggs Lake to the west.

 

Chris Perkins said he has been working with surveyors, the DNR and contractors to finalize the plans and move towards construction and hoped the board would okay his variances so he could bring the matter to the county in the next step of the process.

 

Supervisor Steve Demeules immediately stated he had major issues with the whole plan and was concerned about the grade on the property which would cause certain runoff onto roads, into creeks and into the lake.

 

“The whole thing is non-conforming,” he said.

 

Perkins argued that he got okays from the DNR and county officials, saying they were “100% confident he would be able to put a house on that property.”

 

Demeules argued the last letter he read from the DNR cautioned the township on moving forward. He also questioned Perkins on how he was to get the grading up in order to hinder obvious runoff into the creek.]

 

Perkins said he planned to bring in approximately 1,500 yards of cubic fill to achieve it.

 

Demeules and the board  balked at that idea since that would mean the roads would take the brunt of that procedure with several truckloads going in and out of the property would be necessary.

 

The board opened the floor to concerned neighbors who were in abundance at Monday’s meeting to bend the board’s ear.

 

Charlene Langowski expressed her concerns including the realization that she once worked with the DNR and she said they were always warned to never spray near the trout stream (Briggs Creek) because they were very protective of the fish and their habitat there. So, Langowski said she would be very surprised to hear the DNR was being lenient to the Perkinses and their encroachments.

 

She also pointed out that all the areas around the lakes and streams suffer from occasional flooding and she wondered where all that runoff will spill into and how much more flooding it will cause.

 

Rick Peyton said he is Perkins’ northern neighbor and  is concerned for the flooding as well and cautioned that he didn’t think 1,500 — not even 5,000 yards of cubic fill — will keep the property  and neighboring properties from flooding.

 

Margo Josewski said she may be one of those neighboring properties who will be affected by the proposed Perkins home. She stated that she and her husband “followed the rules” when they built their property years ago and she feels anyone who builds in the area should abide by the rules too.

 

After several others spoke in protest of the new home build the board supervisors gave their two cents — all in opposition. Attorney David Meyer pointed out variances are usually discussed and taken into consideration when there is a hardship associated with the situation.

 

“I don’t really see this situation as a hardship,” he said.

 

“The most important thing for us to do is to protect our waters and wetlands,” said Chairman Mike Ganz. “These requests to me are not convincing hardships.”

 

With that, Demeules motioned to deny all six variances and the board concurred. Their comments and reasons for denial will now be sent to the county for them to take into consideration when they make review Perkin’s claim in March.

 

Sgt. Andy Oakes of the Sherburne County Sheriff’s Dept. said 83 calls for service came into their station in regards to Palmer Township activity.A few were traffic, four were crashes and there were also a couple ATV and snowmobile citations handed out,” he said.

 

Fire Chief Ron Koren said  he received 16 calls for service including three medicals and one auto accident situation.

 

• Last year’s water test results were handed over to the township clerk by a member of the lake association;

 

• Not much was reported for roads although some audience members asked to have 115th and 90th Street’s drifts plowed as soon as possible;

 

• Excessive weight restriction signs will be constructed and placed around the lakes by the county in the near future;

 

• Meyers plans to put together a permit form for excessive weight restrictions over 10,000-lbs. and develop a cost to be put together with the township’s fee schedule list.

 

The next Palmer Twp. meeting is March 14 at 7 p.m.