County to discuss camp sites at City Beach

The Koochiching County Board is expected to take action on several Planning Commission recommendations at its meeting Tuesday.
The meeting is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. in the courthouse boardroom.
During Environmental Services Department business at 10:55 a.m., the board is expected to approve a recommendation from the Planning Commission to grant a conditional use permit requested by the city of International Falls for limited overnight camp sites at City Beach.
The Planning Commission approved in a 5-4 vote six overnight camp sites, to prohibit RVs and to allow a maximum of two tents per sight. The vote was tied 4-4, but acting commission Chair Bruce Sampson voted yes, breaking the tie.
The City Beach committee made the recommendation to create the six campsites that would be restricted to either two tents or one RV up to 31 feet. The purpose of the campsites is to generate more use of City Beach, Gail Rognerud told the Planning Commission June 12.
Several residents living around the area of City Beach opposed allowing RVs in City Beach. The reasons stated to the Planning Commission included: the RVs potentially blocking the view of Sand Bay for residents living across from the beach; the potential for allowing a sexual offender to stay at the beach where unsupervised children are dropped off by the city bus; and a policy allowing campers to stay indefinitely if all the campsites aren’t reserved.
The board is also expected to approve a conditional use permit requested by Ron Peterson, who proposes to blast a rock ridge and crush aggregate and to sell custom containers. The parcel involved in the proposal is located south of Highway 11 East near the Ranier overpass.
Several residents living near Peterson’s property voiced concern at the June 12 Planning Commission meeting that the blasting could cause damage to homes.
The Planning Commission has recommended hours of operation be limited, all property owners within a half-mile be notified prior to blasting, a pre-blast survey be conducted on homes within a half-mile of the blast site and that the blasters follow Minnesota Department of Transportation’s requirements.
The board is expected to approve a zone change requested by Bowman Construction for rock quarry mining. The mining operation would be located west of County Road 89 near Clementson. The area is currently zoned for agriculture/forestry use and the request is to change it to a manufacturing zone. The rock quarry would include blasting and processing.
The board is expected to approve a conditional use permit requested by Robyn Hasbargen for a proposed sand and gravel mining operation on 160 acres adjacent to Highway 11 south of Indus.
In other business, the county board is scheduled to discuss Land and Forestry Department business at 9:50 a.m., followed by Public Health Department business at 9:55 a.m. Highway Department business is scheduled to be discussed at 10:10 a.m.
During Community Services business, the board is expected to support a part-time social worker position for the county’s Family Dependency Court.
Public comment is scheduled to follow Environmental Services business.
The 2008 Koochiching County Board of Equalization is scheduled to meet at 1:30 p.m. After the county assessor confirms the 2008 property values for taxes payable in 2009, the county conducts a board of equalization.