According to township supervisors Johnnie Olson and Warren Nehring, the application asks the county for permission to construct a shoulder on the road 250 feet long and about 20 feet wide. The shoulder would extend from the boat landing north 250 feet.
If permission is granted for the shoulder, the township will be required to remove the dirt from the wetland where they had added the fill to enlarge this small parking area in the summer of 1997. The new construction proposal will also impact the wetland on the west side of Baywater Road.
At a township public hearing in January, the township board received public comment regarding the Adams public access on the west end of Lake Koronis.
The Stearns County Planning Commission had asked for the hearing after the township officers had deposited some fill into the wetland on the west side of Baywater Road to create a larger parking area off the road.
At that hearing, many voiced concern about the “no parking” signs that had gone up along both sides of the road, making the use of the access and parking a vehicle and trailer an impossibility, and effectively closing the access.
Nehring said the township would not be removing the “no parking” signs except in the designated area if the proposal is approved by the Stearns County Planning Commission.
The public hearing is set for Thursday, March 19, at 7 p.m. in the county board room in the County Administration Center.
Greg Berg, Stearns County Environmental Services, encourages area residents to attend the meeting and to voice their concerns about the area. Berg expects a decision to made by the planning commission about the application the night of the hearing.