Jessica Foster
Staff WriterA plan to revitalize Willows on the Water into an upscale franchise restaurant is heating up.
Terry Miller and partners came before the Forest Lake City Council Monday night to improve the restaurant and bar on the shores of Forest Lake which closed earlier this spring.
The Willow Point group recently partnered with Axelís Bonfire Restaurant Group, which has locations in Mendota Heights, Chanhassen, Roseville, Eagan, St. Paul, Woodbury and other locations.
The developers plan to redevelop the site via tearing down the existing cabins and one detached garage and transferring the square footage of the outbuildings to the main restaurant facility. The new building has a proposed square footage of 5614 feet.
The city council offered a consensus of approval but held off on making any official approvals.
Under a new law passed in the 2004 Minnesota Legislative session, entities with a property that does not conform to a cityís zoning ordinance can replace or improve the non conforming use.
In effect since August 1, the law does state ìA municipality may by ordinance, permit an expansion or impose upon non-conformities reasonable regulation to prevent and abate nuisances and to protect the public health, safety and welfare.î
Community Development Director Doug Borglund said the law has a great deal of gray area.
ìIs it an improvement? Is it an expansion? Is it both? The law is untested. Opinions differ,î Borglund said.
He added, due the controversy of Willowpoint in the summer of 2003, the opinions of residents needed to be taken into account.
Councilman Rick Ashbach questioned the process. Normally, requests would go through the planning commission, Ashbach said.
ìShouldnít this just go through the normal process,î Ashbach asked.
Miller, however, said the new law gave the council authority to grant the building permit.
ìItís really an issue for the council to decide. What weíre proposing is a combined square footage. We want to get your permission to go forward. Weíre not changing the use,î he said. ìWe really see this as a building permit and site plan approval.
Councilman Tom Lynch said the location was a good one for a restaurant and he was in favor of cleaning it up. However, he said the plan was ìtrying to jump through hoops too quickly.î
Lynch said he would like to see the plans go through the planning commission and he would like to see more engineering documents on the plans.
City Attorney Dave Hebert said the law was new and untested and gray area was plentiful. Jerry Duffy is the attorney representing the Willow Point Group
ìWeíre applying for a building permit to essentially take the same amount of square footage and combine into one building. It is just a building permit,î Duffy said.
Upper Deck
The Forest Lake City Council approved a premise permit application from the Forest Lake Area Athletic Association to sell pull tabs at Upper Deck Bar and Grill.
Upper Deckís suspension of its premise permit expires on Dec. 31, FLAAA would be able to open its booth in January.
Community Center
Alan Bakke of the Forest Lake Community Center Task Force got what he wanted Monday night. The council approved a $4800 expenditure for a fundraising study to be performed by Morgen Rasmussen of Rasmussen Consulting in Stillwater.
The study is meant as the first step in an ongoing campaign.
Rasmussen will be working to find out if the community can raise the money to build a community center.
Meetings
The Forest Lake City Council regularly meets at 6:30 p.m. the second and fourth Monday of each month in the Forest Lake City Council Chambers.
The next regular meeting is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 25.
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