June 15, 2010
06/16/10
The Marshall County Commissioners will convene for a special meeting on Monday, June 21st at 6 p.m. in their second floor meeting room of the County Building. This special evening meeting is to discuss with residents at Lake of the Woods the findings of ownership on the various easements around the lake.
Earlier this year residents of the lake approached the commissions on an issue at the end of Addison Street. Several property owners in the subdivision had for years placed a pier in the lake at the easement site and last year the County was notified that they needed to marina permit because more than four boats were docked on the pier.
The property owners who placed the pier do not have frontage on the lake and must use the easement as their access to the lake.
County Surveyor Larry Fisher, County Planning Director Ralph Booker and Commissioner Jack Roose have been investigating the situation. They did find that the Addison Street easement was dedicated to the County many years ago.
Last week the Commissioner ordered the pier to be removed from the lake at Addison Street. Highway Superintendent Neal Haeck was told to post a sign giving the pier owners two days to remove it or the County would. The pier was removed by the property owners although then contend that many of the easements around Lake of the Woods have piers on them, the same as Addison Street.
The Special Meeting on Monday, June 21 will not determine who can have a pier and how can’t. It will allow Lake of the Woods property owners to know who has legal ownership of the 30 dead-end easements around the lake. If the easements are owned by the County the piers will have to go. If the easements are owned by the property owners in the various subdivisions then the piers can stay.
In previous meeting, the County has had a police presence at the meeting fearing the neighbors may get out of control on the issue.
This special meeting will be in the Commissioner’s meeting room on the second floor of the County Building. This meeting is open to the public and not just the Lake of the Woods property owners.