Cass Co. Residents on Howard Lake Raise Concerns About Proposed RV Resort

Minnesota is no stranger to tourists. According to Explore Minnesota, over 80 million people flocked to the Land of 10,000 Lakes in 2023. But in Cass County, residents that live on Howard Lake in Shingobee Township are fighting back on a proposed RV resort that would bring in some new seasonal neighbors.

On the northern shore of Howard Lake is a 16-acre lot that has sat empty for years. The site is home to a former RV resort, and now, a developer has bought the land with plans to once again use the space for a new RV resort. But residents along the lake think that the new resort’s footprint will be much bigger than its successor.

“They’re trying to put a seasonal RV park in, and it’s very dense,” said area resident David Ford. “It’s very much larger than what the old resort was. So our lake is long and skinny and we don’t really have the capacity to have 41 new residents during the summer months on the lake. We already are a little bit overcrowded.”

At a meeting on Monday with county commissioners at the Land Services building in Backus, residents argued that not only will the new resort overcrowd the lake, but it will have significant environmental impacts on the area as well.

“There was a lot of discussion around the fact that this is an abandoned resort,” said area resident Tim Kanne. “So there are existing septic systems and piping and things underground today that need to be accounted for, and they haven’t been yet. There’s a lot of concern about when we start breaking ground and cutting down trees, we’re going to do harm that can’t be easily repaired. There’s a potential for actual pollution to come and really affect the waters.”

Residents organized a petition to require the developers to obtain an environmental impact statement (EIS), which would help further determine what impact developing the site would have on the lake and surrounding areas.

“We believe that an EIS is really necessary because, you know, we don’t want the lake to be destroyed,” emphasized Ford. “41 units on the lake is 50% more population than what’s there right now. So that’s our concern.”

The county board voted twice as to whether or not the resort would need to obtain an EIS, but both votes resulted in a 3-3 draw. Ultimately, the board decided to table the discussion until their next regularly scheduled meeting, frustrating many of the people in attendance.

“We’re tired, but we’re dedicated to make sure that it’s done correctly,” Kanne added. “You know, if a decision’s made to go forward and do a development, that’s fine. We just want to make sure everyone understands fully what the potential impacts are and that we’ve addressed that before they start breaking ground, and that’s the primary concern.”

The rescheduled session is set for April 14th at the Cass County Land Services Building in Backus.