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Council opposes environmental impact statement for proposed development on Clark Lake NISSWA CITY COUNCIL Staff Writer NISSWA - A proposed development that would create 50 single-family homes, plus three separate homes on 36 acres on the northern end of Clark Lake in Nisswa will not require a more extensive environmental review.
The Nisswa City Council Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution for a negative declaration for an environmental impact statement on the proposed project called The Woods of Nisswa.
The city council made its decision after an environmental assessment worksheet on the project sat for 30 days in the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board publication, where the public was allowed to comment on the development.
City Administrator Loren Wickham said there were eight responses to the worksheet, including responses from the DNR. Wickham said the DNR response was that an environmental statement was not needed.
Wickham said the responses were regarding stormwater runoff, shallow wells and how wastewater would be addressed in connection with the city's proposed plan to expand its wastewater plant.
Council member Lenny Hodgson said the environmental worksheet found that the project would not have a significant impact on the lake. Hodgson said as the project unfolds there will be safeguards along the way, including the fact that the developers must abide by Minnesota Pollution Control Agency rules.
"None of the agencies felt an EIS was necessary," said Hodgson. "If they were concerned they would have addressed it."
Council member Russ King said he has struggled with development in general and this proposal is no different. He said he is not a great proponent of development, but said the experts know more than he does on how development would impact the lake.
Nisswa Mayor Harold Kraus said a few of the findings of facts that confirm the council's decision to declare a negative declaration for an environmental impact statement are the DNR has restrictions in place on surface water use on Clark Lake, storm water runoff would be addressed through the permitting process and Anderson Brothers has a plan in place in case the shallow wells go down.
Wickham said there is a 30-day waiting period for an appeal process and if there isn't an appeal the proposed project would go to the city's planning commission sometime in the near future.
Before the council made their decision, they heard from the developer and the residents in the audience.
Brian Scanlan, one of the developers of the project, gave a quick summary of how they got started with the project. He said they explored different options when they were looking at what the potential development would look like. He said they have worked with the city throughout the process.
All the residents who spoke at the meeting spoke in favor of a positive declaration for the environmental impact statement.
Carole Hendershott, Clark Lake resident, said she did not feel that the information in the environmental worksheet was accurate and said further review was needed.
"I'm concerned about protecting the lake," she said. "Increasing it (the land) by 53 homes is a large increase."
Karna DeMay, a Clark Lake Conservation Association member who started the petition, said she cares deeply about keeping the property so it is environmental friendly.
Another resident, Michael Edmunds said, "Why wouldn't they (the developers) want to pursue every avenue to make sure they're protecting the lake? You'd think they'd want to."
Pat Hendershott, Clark Lake resident, asked the council to make sure they read the information carefully before they make a decision. He said he didn't feel the council had enough time to review the materials from the public comment period.
Wickham said the council had the comments for several days and had all the background information on the environmental worksheet since June. He said the council received the responses to the comments on Monday and Tuesday.
JENNIFER STOCKINGER can be reached at jennifer.stockinger@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5851.
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