Lake Arrowhead Community meets with Clinton County P&Z

Clinton County Planning and Zoning (CCPZ) committee met with several area residents from Lake Arrowhead community on Wednesday night, December 5, at Plattsburg High School. The open meeting was held to gather information regarding a potential zoning change to R-1 for Lake Arrowhead. 

After gathering information, the CCPZ were to then make their recommendation to the County Commissioners. The amendment that was available at the meeting held information that upset the lake community.  Residents are fearful of the unknown and believe that the amendments would cause many compliance issues; thus, allowing the county to possibly impose fines or take their property from them. 

Prior to entering the meeting room there were tables with baskets and information sign-in sheets. Visitors were asked to sign in and to fill out their name and lot number as well as if they were in favor of, against, or undecided regarding the zoning change. Lake owners were allowed to put their name on a list and wait in order to direct questions to the P&Z commission. 

Community members asked several direct questions that the CCPZ board were unable to answer. Many were questions that would involve other agencies; for example, the county assessments, real estate values, and septic issues. The Lake owners were also upset that the new lot size restrictions of 3 - 5 acres and minimum sq. footage allotments would cause current lot owners to fall out of compliance.

The CCPZ stated that since they were being grandfathered in, they should not be affect them as long as they comply with the rules that they could adhere to and apply for a variance for the ones they could not then they should be fine.

The board wanted to reassure the crowd that if they applied for a variance it should be fine. However, many residents were still unsure.  Since not all owners live at the lake and several use their lot for weekend camping several were afraid that the changes would negatively impact them. Numerous landowners’ owners spoke to the CCPZ committee and wanted to be assured that they would, in fact, be grandfathered in without any issues.

Many questions were unanswerable by CCPZ and it was stated that the questions would be better directed to the Clinton County Commissioners. 

One such concern was that they want to rezone Lake Arrowhead to R-1 and take control of the land; however, the roads would still be under Lake Arrowhead control. One resident asked, "Why do you want to take our land and tell us what to do with it but not help us take care of the roads?" The CCPZ response was, "I can't answer that one." 

Later it was stated that other areas that are zoned R-1 do not have county road services.  Lake residents were hoping to gain more information from the meeting and were upset that answers were vague or non-existent. The CCPZ wanted to know what the fears were in the changes from