DETROIT LAKES – A draft version of Becker County’s new comprehensive land use plan is complete and available on the Becker County Planning and Zoning Office website.

The 58-page draft report was published on August 6 and is available to the public for review and feedback until September 9.

The Becker County Planning Commission will consider approving the design at a 6 p.m. meeting on Wednesday, August 28, at the courthouse.

Contributed map

The plan sets out existing conditions, objectives and strategies in a number of areas, including land use, housing, natural resources, transportation, infrastructure and public services, and economic development.

Highlights of the design include:

As part of the process, city and municipal officials were asked to provide feedback on the existing master plan using nine open-ended questions, and over 60 people responded.

“The main issues (for local officials) are that the zoning and permitted land uses are not consistent with current development or future land use goals. New uses such as short-term rentals, storage units and clean energy are key concerns that township officials hope to address when updating the zoning ordinance,” the draft plan states.

Under “Land Use Trends” the draft plan states:

Placement in fattening farm: Feedlots in Becker County tend to be located in the northwest and southeast, where there is less surface water. In a focus group, members of the farming community indicated that they would prefer to have their feedlots located as far away from other residents and surface water as possible to avoid conflicts with neighbors over noise and odor, and to avoid or minimize impacts on surface water.

Dense development south of Detroit Lakes: The land north of Detroit Lakes, from Old Town to south of County 149, was originally a site of significant development and commercial activity.

Recently, many new residents have settled in Becker County south and west of Detroit Lakes as people moved into Becker County. This concentration of new residents encourages increased residential density in the area.

Dividing the parcels into smaller single-family lots and retaining an area for multi-family development near the outskirts of the City of Detroit Lakes allows for higher density without fundamentally changing the local character of the district. Balanced development preserves the rural character of the area with its lakes while inviting more people to move to the district to live and spend their money.

Reflection of commercial activities: The plan supports growth around existing commercial areas, towns with public sewer and water services, and access to major roads. It also introduces mixed-use overlay zoning in areas where traditional use segregation is not required, such as commercial areas and multifamily housing.

The desired outcome is the creation of better connected and more walkable communities where residents, seasonal visitors and tourists can walk or bike to shops, restaurants, recreational facilities and attractions.

Living trends: 56 percent of survey participants considered housing to be one of the two most important issues in the district. The rising cost of housing and the limited availability of certain types of housing other than single-family homes mean that housing will have to be viewed as a necessity for land use in the future.

This may require the county and area cities to consider allowing alternative housing options, such as accessory dwelling units, mixed-use development, and tiny house development.

Cities in northern Minnesota are experiencing population growth, given the recent trend of residents moving from urban areas to more rural locations. As people move to places where they can work from home and still live near natural amenities, demand for housing will increase.

This phenomenon not only leads to higher population density in rural areas around lakes and in the towns and outskirts of the county. To accommodate this influx, this plan proposes an increased residential density in the areas around the towns where population centres have settled, as well as an increase in existing infrastructure and services.

Mixed-use development: Mixed-use buildings are becoming more common as people want to live in walkable neighborhoods or near shops and restaurants.

This plan allows for mixed-use development by adding an overlay district along highway corridors and major intersections. By allowing small-scale commercial development in residential areas and vice versa, the county can increase tax revenue, support economic development, and create more housing options.

This also creates living space close to goods and services.

Short-term rentals: There is a demand for accommodation in areas with natural amenities such as lakes and forests as people seek places close to recreation and tourism opportunities.

Since the last comprehensive plan update in 2015, short-term rentals have become big business, and property owners can take advantage of this demand and use online booking platforms.

Some property owners use it as extra income for the days they are not using their vacation home or cabin. Other people or companies buy lake houses to rent them out commercially on a short-term basis.

This does not necessarily have a direct impact on the availability of low- and medium-priced housing, but it can impact communities by making them inaccessible for permanent occupancy and exacerbating the current shortage of available housing.

According to the draft plan, the public and stakeholders will be involved was carried out in three phases of the project:

• Phase 1: Fall 2023 – Educate the public about the planning process and gather input to identify issues and opportunities

• Phase 2: Summer 2024 – Submit a draft plan and regulations based on the findings from Phase 1 and seek feedback from the public and stakeholders

• Phase 3: Fall 2024 – Hold a public open house and public hearing before the County Council to approve the new comprehensive land use plan and updated zoning and subdivision ordinances.