INTRODUCTION
Development and the pressures exerted with it have occurred within Greenwood Township over the last several years. The desirability to live within the quiet confines of the Lake Vermilion region has resulted in growth patterns which have placed constraints on all aspects of land use. Single family year-round hams have replaced many seasonal cottages. Small resorts have become larger year-round destination locations for guests. Commercial activity is beginning to put additional pressure on the land use patterns which have been established for many years. These changes, coupled with the pressure of infrastructure needs such as sewage disposal, road upgrading and emergency fire/medical protection, all place new social and fiscal burdens upon the residents of Greenwood Township.
As change takes place and the pressure to develop grows, the leadership of the community has made the decision to guide future growth. This decision was made to ensure that future growth will protect existing land use patterns and property values.
One of the first priorities to be dealt with was the review and enactment of the Greenwood Township Zoning Ordinance. The St. Louis County Zoning Ordinance was used as a basis for this work. Careful attention was paid to the ordinance so that the final product would protect land values and existing development while allowing for future expansion of land use categories. Environmental consideration and the protection of natural areas were also key priorities in the zoning process.
Along with the enactment of the Zoning Ordinance, Township officials recognized the need to establish specific goals and policies for land use within the Township. A thorough review was made in several sessions where growth policies as well as existing development in all land use areas were discussed. Specifically, land use policies and developments were reviewed for the basic land use categories including residential, commercial, public and natural resources. Other land uses considered were transportation and public infrastructure. It was generally agreed that these land use goals can be achieved only through ongoing discussion and the enforcement of the zoning ordinance. The policy statements developed will serve as the basis for decisions regarding developing land use patterns.
GOALS AND POLICIES
Goal and Policy statements are generated to provide guidance in making long range land use decisions. They are also used to reflect and generate discussion on current and past land use practices that have led to the present development patterns found within Greenwood Township. When making land use decisions involving changes in land use patterns, justification should be identified in order to protect the integrity of these goals. The goals developed are general in nature and should be used as guidance. The policy statements are more definitive and can be used in decision making regarding land use requests.
OVERALL GOALS
- To guide development in Greenwood Township, allowing a mix of land use categories including residential, commercial and public while protecting the environmental and rural integrity of the Township lands.
- To protect the health, safety and welfare of its citizens, taking into account the customs, culture and economy of the area.
- To promote and provide for the orderly growth of Greenwood Township while:
 A. Preserving water quality
B. Preserving air quality
C. Controlling density that may affect the ecology of its water resources
OVERALL POLICIES
- Adopt and administer effective land use ordinances including zoning, subdivision, shoreland, and flood plain, that promote sound planning principles for future development.
- Review all land use requests in a fair manner that assures the highest and best use of the land while adhering to the requirements of the regulatory ordinances.
- Manage the establishment of land uses so as not to adversely affect land values and cause harm to adjacent land uses.
- Maintain a relationship with St. Louis County Planning and Zoning officials to assure consistent policies, regulations and ordinances.
RESIDENTIAL GOAL
Encourage residential development in a variety of forms including single and multi-family units, seasonal and year round, with an emphasis to encourage residential growth of higher densities in those areas already exhibiting residential patterns that can be served with existing public services. Encourage large lot residential growth in those areas where rural character needs to be maintained.
Policies
- Provide for all residential needs within the community by providing suitable ordinances for all housing types.
- Consider adoption of proper building codes to assure that safety, health, and sanitary conditions are maintained.
- Maintain separation of residential uses from other uses which may adversely affect residential property values through use of buffer zones, screening, etc.
- Require that residential subdivisions provide adequate open space and public facilities including streets, adequate drainage and public utilities.
- Require that all n residential construction obtain permit and clearances before construction.
- Establish neighborhoods for residential development where public facilities arid utilities can be considered including parks, trail entrances, and public water and sewer service, if warranted.
- Encourage rural residential development standards that provide adequate lot sizes to protect the rural integrity of the community.
- Require that residences on the waterfront adhere to all ordinances, laws and provisions relating to the water body and its preservation including, but not limited to, shoreland, flood plain and similar adopted ordinances.
COMMERCIAL GOAL
Promote and encourage commercial development that will provide goods and services to the Township residents and visitors while assuring that all commercial development recognizes the need to protect aesthetics, adjacent land uses, traffic patterns, and the quality of the natural environment.
Policies
- Restrict commercial development to those areas adequately served by major traffic routes.
- Require that commercial development provide safe access, convenient adequate parking, screening from adjacent non-commercial uses, and signage in scale with the surrounding environment.
- Require that lakeshore commercial development adhere to all environmental and related standards as adopted by the Township.
- Encourage lakeshore commercial development to utilize design standards that promote aesthetics, erosion control, safety and convenience for customers.
- Encourage grouping of commercial developments for the convenience of customers and to lessen the overall impact of such uses within the Township.
- Allow ham occupation commercial uses only if the use is compatible with adjacent residential uses and is secondary to the principal residential use.
INDUSTRIAL GOAL
Industrial development will not be permitted.
PUBLIC FACILITIES GOAL
Guide the wise use and development of public areas and facilities that will encourage and preserve the private investment made in the Township by its citizens and, in addition, retain environmental quality.
Policies
- Provide for public areas within the Township that will benefit citizens and visitors including parks, play areas, public water access and multi-purpose trail systems.
- Encourage state and federal construction programs aimed at the establishment of public accesses, trails, wayside areas and parks.
- Plan for the establishment of public utilities in those areas where private systems are inadequate or density patterns prohibit the use of private systems.
- Establish the use of multi-jurisdictional programs for public needs and facilities, thus eliminating or greatly reducing duplicative programs, buildings or equipment.
- Continue to develop public buildings to serve the population including Township offices, public gathering spaces, fire protection, library services and others as determined by public need.
- Support volunteer programs for fire protection, emergency medical services, first responders and search/rescue.
NATURAL RESOURCES GOAL
Protect and enhance natural environment areas within the Township including the public forested areas, streams, rivers, and lakes with sound review of all development applications, enforcement of all regulatory measures and support of state and federal programs.
Policies
- Enforce the land use regulations and policies that will protect the natural areas within the Township.
- Use natural resources aids including topography, soils, forest cover, wetlands and wildlife habitat to determine future development patterns and density.
- Enact sound subdivision review that will protect the natural resources base.
- Enact sound programs of restoration, including shaping, planting, and erosion control in all disturbed development areas.
- Protect the integrity of Lake Vermilion and other water bodies by enforcing sound DNR shoreland regulations.
- Enact and enforce controls to prevent ground water and surface water contamination by development.
- Encourage the use of the Township for recreational purposes by providing such natural areas as parks, trails, campgrounds and wayside facilities.
- Promote a program of tree planting and reforestation within the Township.
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