(Okoboji)– The Okoboji City Council Tuesday reviewed preliminary plans for a residential development on the Okoboji Boats site. It would consist of nine lots for single family dwellings. Butch Parks, who purchased Okoboji Boats about a year ago, made the presentation. The plans hadn’t been reviewed yet by the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission. Parks said he wanted to get a feeling from the council before proceeding further. The council agreed with the concept, but cautioned Parks numerous variances will be needed. There was also concern over plans by Parks to continue some business operations on the site…including a gas dock…on atleast a temporary basis. Parks said he’ll need to do that for cashflow purposes if he can’t sell all of the lots to a single developer and he has to develop them himself. Mayor Bob Schneider suggested a limitation be put in place for a conditional use permit allowing any commercial operations to continue on the property.
With that concern in mind, the council directed Parks to put together a preliminary plat and present it to the Planning and Zoning Commission.
On somewhat of a related matter, the Okoboji Council voted unanimously to recommend the County Attorney seek a deferred sentence against Ed Gochenour. Gochenour was recently convicted for bootlegging for selling alcohol without a license from a space he was subleasing in the former Okoboji Boats building. The council approved a motion to that affect after asking Parks if he was planning to let Gochenour operate in the building any more. Parks told the council he wouldn’t.
