Lake County Board approves updated subdivision and land-use ordinances

Lake County has approved updated rules that will govern subdivision requests, land-use review and the approvals that shape new development across the county, with the amended ordinances set to take effect May 8.

The Lake County Board of Commissioners adopted amendments to Subdivision Ordinance #9 and Land Use Ordinance #12 at its April 28 meeting, following a Planning Commission public hearing on April 20 at 6:00 p.m. in the Law Enforcement Center at 613 Third Avenue in Two Harbors. Written comments had been due by 4:30 p.m. on April 16, and residents could send them to Tanya Feldkamp or to the Lake County Environmental Services Department at 601 Third Avenue in Two Harbors.

The county’s notice did not spell out every line-by-line change in the final text, but the action closes a formal ordinance update process that touched the rules used to evaluate how land is divided, what can be built and what kind of review a project must clear before moving ahead. For property owners and builders, that means the standards now in force are the ones county staff will use on future applications, from lot splits to new home construction and other land-use approvals.

The update follows a familiar county workflow: staff draft the changes, the Planning Commission opens them to public comment, and the Board takes final action by resolution. Minnesota Statutes chapter 394 requires public hearings before counties adopt comprehensive plans, official controls or amendments to them, underscoring why Lake County held the April hearing before the board acted.

Lake County Planning and Zoning says it has been promoting and protecting public health, safety and general welfare since the mid-1970s, and the spring 2026 amendments fit into a steady pattern of ordinance maintenance. The county approved amendments to its comprehensive plan and Land Use Ordinance #12 on June 24, 2025, and those changes took effect July 4, 2025.

The new subdivision and land-use amendments were also part of a broader spring review. On March 16, 2026, Lake County had scheduled a public hearing that included proposed changes to Land Use Ordinance #12, Cannabis Ordinance #29 and Subdivision Ordinance #9, signaling that the county has been working through multiple code updates at once. With the latest board vote now complete, the amended rules will be the county’s governing standards for future development decisions starting May 8.