Crow Wing County Approves Year-Long Freeze on Shoreline Development

On Tuesday at the regular Crow Wing County Board meeting, a rather long public comment session took place discussing what the future of shoreline development should look like. The meeting ended with the passing of a moratorium to prevent a boardwalk being built through wetlands.

The unanimous decision to pass the year-long freeze was made to provide the county more time to come up with the best solution possible. Commissioners ordered staff to study the issue of alternative riparian access over the next year in pursuit of more robust and clearer regulations.

These are proposed boardwalks through wetlands and sensitive shorelines by property owners who are looking to ease access to navigable waters. However, this proposal has left some shoreline property owners unhappy with the potential project, as approximately 550 feet of boardwalk was part of the original plan. However, these upset residents are suggesting that this plan could negatively affect the environment.

With the moratorium, developers can no longer seek permits to create walkway systems for residents who otherwise would not have direct access to a lake.