|
|
|
by Tom Cox
In pursuit of our mission "to preserve and improve Ten Mile Lake and its environs," for three decades our Association has focused intently on the chemistry of lake water and thus on septic system function and surface water inflow, both of which have a critical effect on lake chemistry, which in turn effects water clarity and purity.
This focus on water chemistry continues. In April, through the good offices of our Healthy Lakes Committee; our Environment and Ecology Committee; and particularly our Watershed Coordinator, John Alden, we were fortunate to receive an Initiative Foundation grant of $5,000 with which to continue evaluation of lakeshore septic systems. This year's efforts will be on the North shore and will continue the work done on the South shore two years ago. Property owners participate in this program voluntarily. I hope that if you receive a letter from our contractor inviting you to participate, you will welcome this free evaluation of your system.
Now, in recent years, in addition to water chemistry, we have found our Association more and more drawn to the issue of developmental pressure. Increased development brings more people, and thus more septic systems and more boating as well as changes to surface water runoff, all of which add to the impact on lake water. Thus the large Loufek tract, which was for decades occupied and used lightly by just one family, has been sold and divided into a number of separate, developable lots. The old Kenfield Resort on Kenfield Bay will become the Kenfield Pines Planned Unit Development (PUD). And in May, the 9.4 acre Mullendore family property on the west shore was sold, and may well become the site of a PUD. Hence our growing interest in the Cass County's zoning ordinances, and the control it can legally exercise over lakeshore development.
Recently, the County approved revised Land Use Ordinances which put greater restrictions on PUDs. Zoning regulations are almost always controversial. This year's revisions were no exception. Already, amendments to the new ordinances are being proposed. At particular issue just now is the permissibility of lake access lots, those lots designated by a developer to provide multiple back lot owners with direct lake access. This issue among others will be the subject of two important hearings in the Commissioners' Board Room in Walker:
- Tuesday, June 7, 10:30 A.M.
- Tuesday, July 5, 10:30 A.M.
If you are interested in the developmental pressure issue, and particularly the use of zoning ordinances to control development, please plan to attend one or both of these hearings (the first is most important).
In this same regard, Cass County's Environmental Services Department (ESD) has been considering the issue of Intra-lake Reclassification, which means the differential classification of lands on a given lake according to their suitability for development. As you know, Ten Mile is classified General Development, and thus, for instance, requires 100 Ft. Lots with a 75 Ft. building setback. Obviously, Kenfield Bay, Lundstrom's Bay, Flower Pot Bay and Long's Bay have environmental characteristics different from those of the main lake. It is possible that these four bays could, based on technically established criteria, qualify for a change from "General Development" (GD) to a new "General Development-Resource Protection" classification, which would put additional restrictions on development. To describe and explain the Intra-lake Reclassification issue further, at its regular meeting on June 18 the TMLA Board of Directors will have as its special guest John Sumption, who last fall was appointed to succeed Paul Fairbanks as head of the Cass County ESD. I know that John will ask our Board to sponsor a public meeting in early July to address this issue with all interested Ten Mile property owners.
It seems clear that with changes coming to our lakes area, to preserve and improve Ten Mile Lake our Association will need increasingly to broaden its focus to include not only lake-water testing and chemistry, but also the impact of increased development and role of zoning ordinances in the conservation of the Northwoods environment.
