Personal Dock Rentals Prohibited. https://tinyurl.com/yrc5ka6x
BACKGROUND
On November 4, 2019, the Prior lake City Council approved multiple amendments to the City Code related to boat slips and mooring facilities. The primary purposes of the ordi- nance amendments were to clarify language related to person- al boat slip rental and revise the ordinance language related to controlled access lots.
DEFINITIONS
A Personal Boat Slip allows the mooring of five (5) or fewer restricted watercraft allowed for personal use by the owners or tenants of residential riparian lots. A Restricted Watercraft is defined as, watercraft for use on or stored on the public waters except for the following:
• Watercraft 16 feet or less in length which uses no motor or a motor of 10 horsepower or less; and
• Watercraft 20 feet or less in length, which uses no motor and is propelled solely by human power.
PERSONAL BOAT SLIP RENTALS
Personal Boat Slip amendments included, but were not limited to:
• A revision from a maximum of six (6) slips to a maximum of five (5) slips per property.
• A new 10-foot dock setback requirement from the side property line if three (3) or more boat slips exist.
• Language added to clarify all restricted watercraft moored at the lot shall be owned and registered to the owner of property (or immediate family) or property tenant (or immediate family), not both. Immediate family includes the spouse, parents, children and grandchildren (all including step- and foster-) of the owner or tenant or the owner or tenant’s spouse.
• An allowance for a boarder, or boarders, to place a total of one (1) slip, provided the property owner is not using slip(s). If property owner has a slip, then a boarder would not be permitted to have a slip.
• Specific language added to clarify rental of slips is prohibited.
CONTROLLED ACCESS LOTS
A Controlled Access Lot, sometimes referred to as a Homeowner Association Lot, is a riparian parcel of land used as a mooring facility for non-riparian lot owners with access to public waters. Amendments to the Con- trolled Access Lot regulations included, but were not limited to:
• A revision of the boat slip to shoreline ratio from a maximum of one (1) slip per 18.75 feet of shoreline to one (1) slip per 40 feet of shoreline.
• A revised way to measure shoreline from the previous method of measuring the contour of the ordinary high-water level (OHW) to the current, which is the lesser of the contour at the OHW or a straight line between where the two side lot lines intersect with the OHW.
• A requirement that shoreline counted in the boat slip ratio must be usable (no wetlands, marsh, bog, etc.)
• A requirement that land counted toward in the shoreline length must abut or lie within 10 feet of navigable water.
• Language requiring watercraft to be owned and registered to owners or tenants in the subdivision or their immediate family. Immediate family includes the spouse, parents, children and grandchildren (all including step- and foster-) of the owner or tenant or the owner or tenant’s spouse.
• Language added clarifying rental of slips is prohibited.
NOTICE
It is not the intent of this ordinance amendment to affect the operation of any current legally existing HOA controlled access lot. All legally existing controlled access lots would be allowed to continue as they are currently approved. Legally existing dock systems can still be maintained, and configurations can change with city approval; however, the number of slips cannot be increased.
Please note, this is a summary of the approved ordinance and does not include all City Code amendments. To review the full ordinance, please visit cityofpriorlake.com or contact the Community Development Department at 952-447-9810.