Resolution 1104 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

. „ Resolution No. 1104 Page 5 22. The above findings of fact relate not only to the extension of docks and mooring areas into Lake Minnetonka, but also relate to the dredging of public waters which dredging has been documented by the Grey Freshwater Biological Institute and other responsible agencies to be a detriment to the public, present or future users of the public waters . 23 . All of the commercial marinas are located adjacent to properties which are residentially zoned and/or residentially used or are in fact surrounded by residentially zoned and used properties. 24 . All of the commercial marinas began as and have historically operated as small fishing ports and bait shops serving the general boating public with boat rental, fuel , bait and boat servicing. 25. Over the past fifteen years , the scope of commercial marina operations has radically changed to the current emphasis upon showroom sales of expensive watercraft and accessories and the pro- liferation of slip and mooring rental for the exclusive storage of watercraft on public waters by a limited number of private individuals . 26 . Over the past fifteen years , the rental of boats to the general public, the launching and servicing of boats owned by the general public and the sale of bait and fuel to the general public have been reduced, eliminated or made difficult and expensive to the point of discouraging access for the general public in favor of catering to the few boat purchasers and slip and mooring renters. 27. The new emphasis upon slip and mooring rental has been accompanied by expansion of the n�mber, size and extent of dock facilities and off-shore buoys over and upon large areas of the public waters thereby creating a public harm by excluding the general boating public from those waters . 28 . The expansion of the commercial dockage facilities by commercial marinas has directly and adversely affected the lakeward access for adjoining residential properties. That expansion has also resulted in congested dockage and off-shore buoy facilities which have created a visual blight upon certain areas of Lake Minnetonka. 29. The new emphasis upon showroom sales has been accompanied by immense increases in the number of watercraft, trailers, and parts stored on land as part of inventory for sale with the accompanying on-land zoning problems. These functions could be better handled in the normal commercial zones of the City of Orono without adversely affecting the important environmental resource belonging to the public generally. The general expansion of commercial marina operations along the shore of Lake Minnetonka has been accompanied by the excessive removal of trees and natural vegetation to allow for increased storage areas , parking and buildings, thereby creating a public harm by increasing surface water runoff and pollution hazards, flooding of neighboring properties, siltation into the lake and a general decrease of the water quality of Lake Minnetonka.