Agenda - Planning Commission - 02/02/2017

Home

balance those needs with the need to protect the corridor's natural, scenic, and recreational values. These standards are intended to serve as minimum standards. Subp. 4. Private roads, driveways, and parking areas. Private facilities are required to meet the land alteration, vegetation, and stormwater management requirements set forth in proposed Minn. R. 6106.0150 and 6106.0160. Additionally private roads, driveways, and parking are required to meet structure setback requirements set forth in proposed rule 6106.0120 and may not be placed in either the bluff impact zone or the shore impact zone, except where necessary for access to shoreline facilities, river -dependent uses, and subdivisions, as specified in proposed rule 6106.0180. These facilities are also required to use natural vegetation and topography to reduce their visibility. Subpart S. Private water access and viewing facilities. The proposed MRCCA rules recognize the need for riparian property owners to have facilities such as access paths, water access ramps, stairways, lifts and landings to access the river, and also recognize the need to regulate the construction and design of these facilities to reduce their negative impacts on the public resources the MRCCA designation is intended to protect. Additionally, many local governments, particularly in the northern part of the MRCCA, requested that DNR provide clear design standards for these facilities. • Access paths, staircases, lifts and landings. This subpart establishes design criteria for access paths, staircases, lifts and landings to ensure that riparian property owners are able to access the river with minimal disruption to sensitive bluffs and shoreline areas. The standards for these facilities are consistent with those found in the state shoreland rules. See Minn. R. 6120.3300, subp. 4 (2015). • Water access ramps. The standards proposed for private water access ramps are similar to those proposed for public access ramps. The best management practices in the Design Handbook for Recreational Boating and Fishing Facilities, incorporated by reference in proposed Minn. R. 6106.0090, must be used when designing and constructing these facilities. The guidelines in this handbook are designed to mitigate adverse impacts from these types of facilities on natural and scenic resources. Additionally, water access ramps must be constructed to comply with Minn. R. 6115.0210 and Minn. R. 6280.0250 (2015). • Water -oriented accessory structures. The standards proposed for water -oriented accessory structures are similar to, but more restrictive than the standards in the state shoreland rules, since these standards are based on evaluation of typical lot and structure sizes in the river corridor which show a higher density or more intensive development pattern than that in most shoreland areas. Subpart 6. Decks and patios in setback areas. Decks and patios were an important issue for many riparian property owners who have purchased property on the river with the intent to be able to view and enjoy the river from their deck and/or patio. These rules are intended to permit decks and patios to be placed to permit enjoyment of the MRCCA attributes while minimizing their impact on the MRCCA resources and the public's enjoyment of those public resources. The standards proposed in this subpart give local governments the flexibility to allow minimal encroachment into the required setbacks from the OHWL and from blufflines without a variance, provided the encroachment is limited to 15 percent of the required setback and is limited in size based on a formula that takes into account the lot width. 53