Zoning still hot topic in city of Harris

By Danielle Strenke
With the deadline approaching for lifting a building and development moratorium in Harris, the city may need to extend it further.
At its regular meeting Oct. 3, the Harris City Council discussed changes being made to the cityís new zoning ordinances. City Attorney Kevin Shoeberg has been working on the changes to several issues within the zoning ordinances for months.
Mayor Richard Hanson and the council have reviewed the updated ordinances, but have found several additional modifications to be made. The planning commission has also reviewed it and recommended changes.
Shoeberg told the council that the city may need to extend the moratorium once again, if only for an additional week or two. ìI thought weíd be farther along in understanding of the zoning issues before we put it in place,î Shoeberg said. ìIf it doesnít happen weíll have to look at taking more time.î
Mayor Hanson said he would be willing to extend the moratorium to ensure that the new zoning ordinances were complete and concise. ìWe need to have enough time to work on them and cover all the bases,î he said. He also felt that further discussion about specific zoning issues required the presence of the entire council; councilors Dan Walton and Lyle Holmstrom were absent from Thursdayís meeting.
The current moratorium is set to expire Oct. 19. The council will hold a joint meeting with the planning commission before its regular meeting Oct. 17 in an attempt to finalize the ordinance.
ATV ordinance challenged
A Harris resident told the council that he feels the proposed ATV ordinance is too strict. ìThere are some parts I donít think are fair,î he said.
He particularly objected to language in the ordinance that states an ATV cannot be operated within 100 feet of someone elseís residence. ìThat means I canít even plow my driveway with my ATV,î he said. ìThis isnít Minneapolis, itís Harris, itís a rural area.î
ìWeíre not saying you canít ride on your own driveway,î Mayor Hanson said. He said it is a difficult situation because there are residents complaining about the reckless use of ATVs and then those who use them and abide by the laws.
The resident asked that the council reconsider the new ordinance, and adopt the Mn. Dept. of Natural Resources ATV regulations instead. The ordinance will be revisited at the councilís Oct. 19 meeting, when a decision to adopt the ordinance may be made.

Top of Page

©ECM Post Review

6448 Main Street
North Branch, MN 55056
Telephone: 651-674-7025
Fax: 651-674-7026
E-mail: editor.postreview@ecm-inc.com