Zoning Information and Forms
Contact Info
Dennis Genereau, Jr.
Zoning Administrator
91034 Island Loop Sturgeon Lake, MN 55783
(218) 576-7654
dennis.genereau@windemeretownship.com
(Last updated on June 19, 2023)
ALERT: Planning Commission will hold Special Meeting on Thursday, June 29, 2023 @6:30 pm at the Windemere Townhall.
ALERT: Windemere Township Camper/RV ordinance is being enforced. Please see both the FAQ and Relevant Documents sections, below, for more information.
Welcome to the Windemere Township Zoning Department information page. The Zoning Department handles all matters related to the application of the 2015 Windemere Township Ordinance and is staffed with one part-time staff person, Zoning Administrator Dennis Genereau, Jr.
Office hours are generally kept on Saturdays from 7:00 am to 1:00 pm, and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm at Dennis's home located at 91034 Island Loop, Sturgeon Lake, from April 15 through September 15. Outside of those dates and times, assistance can be provided, including site visits, by contacting Dennis via phone or text at 218-576-7654 or via email at Dennis.genereau@windemeretownship.com.
You may mail completed permit applications or other correspondence to: Dennis Genereau, Jr., 91034 Island Loop, Sturgeon Lake, MN, 55783. Documents can also be dropped off at that address through hand delivery or by dropping them in the mailbox. The 2015 Windemere Township Zoning Ordinance and a few of the more frequrently used form related to Windemere Township Zoning can be found below.
In addition to admistering the zoning ordinance, the Zoning Office works closely with the Windemere Township Planning Commission and Board of Adjustment, both of which meet as scheduled at the Windemere Town Hall. All meetings are open to the public. Please see the Planning Commission and the Board of Adjustment tabs in the Planning and Zoning dropdown tab, or check the website calendar, for all future scheduled meeting dates.
Brush & Leaf Days are the third Saturday of the month, April thru October 2020. Hours are 10:00a.m to 1:00p.m. This is held at the Township gravel pit next to the Moose Lake Airport.
Please be sure to check out the forms and FAQ sections, below.
Relevant Documents
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Windemere Township have a camper/RV ordinance?
Yes, Windemere Township does have a Camper/RV ordinance that has been in place since 1996. All campers/RV's are subject to this ordinance, and may need to be permitted. If you have questions regarding the status of your camper/RV, you can check out the 2023 Windemere Township Recreational Camping Vehicle Ordinance Enforcement document in the Relevant Documents section of this page, where you will also find the 2023 Application for Recreational Vehicle Zoning Permit. You can also call or text Zoning Administrator Dennis Genereau, Jr., at 218-576-7654 or email him at Dennis.genereau@windemeretownship.com
Does Windemere Township have a Non-conforming Lots ordinance?
Yes, Windemere Township does address Non-conforming Lots in the 2015 ordinance at Article IV - Non-conformities, Section 4, Non-conforming Lots. This ordinance does require contiguous lots under common ownership at any time after the ordiance was adopted in 2004 to be legally combined and recorded as such prior to sale or develpement (including any structural development). The ordinance langauge can be found on pages 62-65, and reads in relevant part:
"2. Lots of record in the office of the County Recorder on the date of enactment of local shoreland controls that do not meet the requirements of Article III-A, Sec. 2, may be allowed as building sites without variances from lot size requirements provided the use is permitted in the zoning district, the lot has been in seperate ownership from abutting lands at all times since it became substandard, was created compliant with official controls in effect at that time, and sewage treatment and setback requirements of the shoreland controls are met. Necessary variances from setback requirements must be obtained before any use, sewage treatment system or building permits are issued for the lots. In evaluating all the variances, boards of adjustment shall consider sewage treatment and water supply capabilities or constraints of the lots and shall deny the variances if adequate facilities cannot be provided. If, in a group of two or more contiguous lots under the same ownership, any individual lot does not meet the requirements of Article III-A, Sec. 2, the lot must not be considered as a separate parcle of land for the purposes of sale or development. The lot must be combined with the one or more contiguous lots so they equal one or more parcels of land, each meeting the requirements of Article III-A, Sec. 2, page 27, as much as possible." (emphasis added) In other words, no zoning permits will be issued for improvements to non-conforming lots if the applicant owns or has owned other lots contiguous to the non-conforming lot since the updated ordinance was adopted, which occurred in 2004.