Silver Rapids expansion plan is much too large

Silver Rapids Lodge has been a good neighbor in the past.  Upgrading the facility is welcome, and having experienced resort management is a plus. But the idea of expanding the resort to 62 1,500-square-foot time-share cabins and increasing dock spaces from 22 to 90 is highly objectionable for a number of reasons.  Many concerns have been identified.  One of our biggest is the impact on the water.  The facility is located at the narrowest point in the entire White Iron chain of lakes, so the concentration of boat traffic in the narrow channel will be more like that on Lake Minnetonka than on Ely area lakes.  To put it into perspective, 90 dock spaces is almost three times as many as exist today on all private property in the entire channel from the Silver Rapids bridge to the entrance to Garden Lake.  And there is every reason to expect that boats moored at the lodge will be used much more frequently than those moored on private lots.  There is good reason to expect the boat traffic in that channel to be more than quadrupled.  The increase in congestion and noise, impact on wildlife and shorelines, hazard to paddlers, and disruption of fishing is completely unacceptable.  This is a massive commercial project in the middle of a residential area that residents chose for its quiet waters and peaceful shores.  
Why 90 dock spaces?  The developers want to offer a dock for every cabin.  That would mean 62 dock spaces.  The developers also want approval for 30 dock spaces for visitors to the on-site restaurant and Tiki bar (in addition to 40 parking spaces for that purpose).  They claimed at the hearing that they don’t intend to rent dock space to outsiders, but they would certainly be likely to do that if they have all those dock spaces.  It could become a commercial marina unless restricted by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
When the Lake County Planning and Zoning Commission held a public hearing at the Fall Lake Town Hall on July 18, more than 90 residents showed up to a room with a stated capacity of 60, requiring a third of the attendees to stand outside and listen at open windows.  (This turnout was despite the fact that notice of the meeting was sent only to residents very near the resort, while this project will affect every resident on the WICOLA chain.)  About 20 people spoke, all expressing concerns and strong objections to the scale of the project.  After three hours, the commission members voted to table the matter in order to do more study.  The hearing will resume at the same much-too-small location on Aug. 8 at 4 p.m.  The chair of the commission announced that the time for public comment was closed, but that should be reconsidered, especially since the commission failed to provide the public adequate information before the hearing.  We also hope more residents will show up on Aug. 8 to register their concerns.  Bring lawn chairs.
Charles and Marily
Marsden, Ely