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Mounds View Planning Commission February 4, 2015 <br />Regular Meeting Page 2 <br />________________________________________________________________________ <br /> <br />5. Planning Cases <br /> <br />None. <br />_____________________________________________________________________________ <br /> <br />6. Other Planning Activity <br /> <br />A. Discuss Potential Code Amendment about Fish Houses <br /> <br />Planning Associate Heller informed the Commission that a resident sent in a request to amend <br />the City Code relating to parking of fish houses in residential districts. He is requesting that the <br />code be amended to allow drop axle fish houses to be in the front yard area of properties longer <br />than 24 hours. The City Council briefly discussed this and is supportive of being more <br />permissive of fish houses being kept on properties. Staff feels that to only allow certain types of <br />fish houses, and then try to distinguish between the styles and/or condition of fish houses, would <br />be very difficult. A simpler option may be to allow them to be kept on properties with no time <br />limit during the ice fishing season. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has no start <br />date for fish houses to go out on lakes, but they require fish houses to be off most lakes by March <br />16 (Minnesota lakes on the Canadian border can have fish houses until March 31). Staff <br />reviewed City Code in detail with the Commission and requested comment. <br /> <br />Commissioner Schiltgen questioned how the City would manage the situation if large amounts of <br />snow fell in April. <br /> <br />Associate Heller anticipated that the City would work with homeowners on a case by case basis <br />if this situation were to arise. <br /> <br />Commissioner Rundle asked how the City would address this situation if the fish houses were <br />used all summer for camping. <br /> <br />Associate Heller believed this situation would have to be further discussed by staff. <br /> <br />Chair Stevenson did not support having fish houses in front yards all summer long. He <br />suggested fish houses only be allowed longer than 24 hours in driveways from November 15th <br />through April 15th. <br /> <br />Bob Horbul, 8382 Knollwood, explained he owns a drop axle wheelhouse fish house. He <br />commented that he stores his fish house in his back yard during the summer months. He <br />discussed how fish houses were being made now to serve as RV’s in the summer months. <br /> <br />Commissioner Birken did not want to see inappropriate or obscene paintings on the exterior of <br />fish houses. <br /> <br />Associate Heller explained that anything obscene that is painted on the exterior could be <br />addressed by the City through its nuisance code.