ELY — A request to build a small storage shed on a Sandy Point property drew roughly 30 people to Ely’s Board of Adjustment on May 20, with opponents raising concerns about environmental impacts, potential Ojibwe cultural significance, and the broader trajectory of development on one of the city’s most recognizable shoreline points.
The board ultimately approved the conditional use permit on a 5-0 vote, with one member abstaining.
The applicant, KK & PI, LLC, was seeking to place a structure of up to 400 square feet at 751 North Pioneer Rd. on Shagawa Lake. The shed would sit on skids rather than a permanent foundation, making it relocatable. Its intended use is storage of human-powered watercraft, including kayaks and canoes, for guests of the short-term rental property on the site.
The company’s representative told the board the structure would have no water or sewer connections, would be locked and accessible only to rental guests, and would not require any excavation. He added that the company had already contacted the Minnesota Department of Archaeology, which confirmed no recorded Native burial sites on the parcel.
Kelly Klun, managing member of KK & PI, LLC, serves as the city of Ely’s contracted attorney. Ely’s clerk/treasurer Harold Langowski noted that Klun would play no role in advising the city on the application or in any city decision-making related to it.
Several speakers expressed concern that the shed was a first step toward more intensive development of Sandy Point, which a number of residents described as ecologically and historically significant.
One opponent said the point functions as wildlife habitat, particularly for shorebirds, and argued that adding structures would degrade that character over time.
Two speakers referenced the possible significance of the point to the Ojibwe people. Mary Louise Icenhour said she had heard as a child that there were burial sites in the area and urged the board to study the history before approving construction. A second speaker from the Bois Forte Band said the absence of recorded sites does not rule out the presence of unrecorded ones, and cited examples from road projects around the state where remains were found after surveys had come back clean. He suggested the board could invoke state statute related to human remains and burial sites as a mechanism for requiring additional survey work.
A third speaker raised concerns about jet skis and motorized watercraft, arguing that even if the current use is non-motorized, structures tend to evolve.
Others spoke in favor of the shed, including members of the city council. Councilors Al Forsman and John Lahtonen defended the property owner’s right to development.
“I don’t see any reason, No. 1, why we’re here, and I sure don’t see a reason why this should or can be denied,” Lahtonen said. “I am personally appalled by this behavior, not from the board but from the people contesting this.”
Another person noted that the property was once used as a busy seaplane base, something far more disruptive than a simple shed.
Board members noted that the shed’s placement on skids and its relatively small footprint limited the scope of potential impact. One member pointed out that the DNR had reviewed the proposal and raised no objections, and that the adjacent public boat launch already sees heavy seasonal use by both motorized and non-motorized watercraft.
As for the potential significance to Ojibwe history, the board noted that surveys could still be conducted and that the shed could be moved if necessary.
Following public comment, the board amended the approval to specify that the shed could only be used to store non-motorized equipment, explicitly excluding electric bikes and similar motorized items. The motion as amended passed unanimously.