The Polk County Planning and Zoning Office has been receiving quite a few calls regarding the density of campers on Polk County Lakes. Polk County Planning and Zoning Administrator Jacob Snyder said campers are strictly identified in the zoning ordinance for limiting density and the proper use of lake lots.
Most zoning enforcement is complaint-driven according to Snyder, and a common complaint this season is the number of campers exceeding what is allowed parking on lots. “We’re going to be doing a camper inventory starting on Maple Lake,” said Snyder. “We’re going to be going out with staff documenting campers. It’s been brought to our attention with many complaints about multiple campers on a site, campers on backlots, campers on this lot. Campers are a dwelling unit. It’s a density issue. If you’ve got three campers out there and a house, the potential is that four families are coming out there every weekend. If they are setting up hooked into the septic system, there is a possibility to overload the system and burn it out faster. These are issues we deal with every year. This year we’re going to put it a little bit further under the microscope.”
While the lakes are enjoyable, the zoning ordinance is in place for both the enjoyment of all and the health of the lakes. “The zoning ordinance is very extensive,” said Snyder. “The zoning ordinance in our shoreland district has anything with 1,000 feet of the lake heavily regulated. There is a reason why we regulate those. It’s more sensitive areas, and the runoff runs right to the lake.”
Snyder said that staff will use discretion and are willing to work with people, but their job is to enforce the rules. “We’re going to take discretion in mind,” said Snyder. “We want the word to go out to people that we are willing to work with people in our zoning ordinance. We didn’t make the rules; our job is to enforce the rules. It’s often a difficult thing to do. Nobody likes the guy that comes and says you’re not playing within the rules.”
Campers need to meet setbacks, and unless they are the approved primary dwelling for a lot shouldn’t be in place throughout the season. “The thing with it is weekend usage, pulling the camper on, it goes home with you is just the weekend use and is just the usage of the lot, those aren’t the ones we’re going to take and put under the microscope,” said Snyder. “The camper should still meet its setback. It should be on the lot. It shouldn’t be right up against the road. It shouldn’t be up against the property line. It shouldn’t be over a septic system. All those things are mentioned in our zoning ordinance even for weekend use. But the ones that we’re targeting are the ones that are fixed there. They come in, park them in May and leave in September. It’s an issue, so we’re going to be doing an inventory in the next month.”
Snyder plans to begin the inventory after the holiday weekend. “Nobody wants to enjoy their Fourth of July weekend going out by counting campers,” said Snyder. “That’s not what we’re going to be doing. The holiday weekend coming up is not the time we’re going to be starting our inventory. We’re going to be starting in the next month, and the campers that are there from May to September are probably going to have to be moved out if they’re not the dwelling unit for that lot and don’t meet the ordinance setbacks. They are going to have to be manipulated and moved.”
Campers are referred to in Sections 18.2144 and 18.2145 of the Polk County Zoning Ordinance.
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