#10 - Chavez Variance - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

January 27, 2025 Lake Elmo Planning Commission 3880 Laverne Avenue North Lake Elmo, MN 55042 Re: Planner Report Re Chavez Property Dear Planning Commission: I am writing in response to the statements in the Staff Report dated 1/13/2025. We have previously corresponded with a staff to illustrate why the request for a single- family house on the Chavez parcel is a necessary and reasonable and a necessary companion to the Northstar 2nd Addition which is planned for development imminently. By pointing that out, we were able to illustrate why it makes common sense to proceed with the application for the building of a single-family home on this lot at this time. I. A Couple Of Background Facts Not Referenced In The Staff Report: No understanding of the facts would be complete without noting that: *This parcel is a lawfully preexisting lot of record. *Which was expressly approved for subdivision by the City of Lake Elmo as long ago as January 16, 1980 (see attachment). *Like many lakeshore lots, this was before the adoption of many, if not all, of the regulations present here. *The lot was subdivided without road frontage by others but with City approval. *It now has the opportunity to receive road frontage and municipal utilities-which can be done through simple and routine requirements for coordination by and with an adjacent intensive residential development as would be the case for any adjacent parcel development. *The house footprint is consistent with and smaller than houses in the locality planned or existing. So strong is the presumption that preexisting shoreland lots like this can be used for a house that Minnesota Statute S. 462.357 indicates that a variance for such a substandard lot, regardless of size is not even needed if it can have a sewer or septic and can meet setback requirements. This is because it was common to create smaller lakeshore lots—which should not be rendered practically useless by later