Lake County sets hearing on Two Harbors short-term rental proposal

A proposed short-term rental on Airport Road is headed to the Lake County Planning Commission, putting neighborhood fit and housing pressure in front of county reviewers before the request can move forward. The hearing will give nearby residents a formal chance to weigh in on whether a 10-acre R-1 parcel in Unorganized Territory #2 should host visitor turnover instead of a full-time home.

The commission is scheduled to meet June 15 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Law Enforcement Center, 613 Third Avenue in Two Harbors. Lake County’s calendar listed the application cutoff for that meeting as June 12 at 4:30 p.m., underscoring that the June 15 hearing is part of the county’s regular land-use cycle rather than a one-off review.

Sasha Fjeran is the applicant on an initial application for an interim use permit under Lake County Land Use Ordinance #12. If approved, the request would allow a short-term vacation rental home at 770 Airport Road in Two Harbors. The county’s planning and zoning process calls for public hearings before the Planning Commission, and interim use permits are typically renewed every one to five years.

For neighbors, the practical questions are straightforward: whether the rental would bring more traffic, parking pressure, noise and turnover to a residential area, and whether that use can coexist with nearby homes. Because the parcel sits in a residential zoning district, commissioners are likely to examine whether the proposal fits the surrounding area and whether conditions are needed to limit conflicts.

The stakes are broader than one address. In 2023, the Lake County Board of Commissioners approved amendments to Sec. 27.06 A, Vacation Rental Home Requirements in Land Use Ordinance #12, and those changes took effect May 30, 2023 after an interim ordinance moratorium expired. Lake County said the amendments generally placed caps or limits on vacation rental homes in residential zoning districts in Unorganized Territory #1, Unorganized Territory #2, Beaver Bay Township, Crystal Bay Township, Silver Creek Township, Stony River Township and Knife River.

That framework means each new application can test how close the county is to its limits in a given district and how far it is willing to bend toward tourism demand. Lake County’s vacation-rental start-up guide says owners outside city limits should first check whether permits are available in townships with caps, then file an Initial IUP App for Vacation Home Rental, with renewal paperwork due at least one month before the permit expires. The county’s fee schedule lists a $200 land use permit fee for a dwelling or principal structure. Questions about vacation rentals and Planning Commission or Board of Adjustment meetings go to Alexandra Campbell, while Blake Ross handles general land use and permitting.