(Milford)– More discussion at Monday’s Milford City Council meeting regarding an 80-slip marina a developer wants to build on Lower Gar Lake.
The discussion surfaced again as the council considered an ordinance that would prohibit keyholing in the city’s zoning ordinance. Opponents saw the keyholing measure as a way to curtail the marina. But City Administrator Brian Reed says the marina would have to be grandfathered in because the city can’t change the rules for a developer between the preliminary plat and the final one. The final plat is being completed and is to go before the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission sometime in the near future.
Bill Sacket, an attorney representing neighboring property owners opposed to the proposed marina, says such an operation is commercial and isn’t appropriate an area zoned residential…such as this. Reed differed. He feels under definitions from the Department of Natural Resources the proposed marina would NOT qualify as a commercial operation. Jim Nodland, a developer of the proposed project, says strict language is being included in legal covenants that bans any outside ownership, leases or renting of slips. He says it’s intended only for residents of the housing development being proposed.
After further discussion, the council voted four-to-nothing to approve the first reading of the proposed keyholing ordinance. Council member Teresa Netsch was absent.
While it probably won’t apply to the marina project, councilman Detlef Ball says it may prohibit such things in the future.
The proposed ordinance will come up for a second reading at the council’s next regular meeting.
