Minneapolis, MN
Judge calls city’s bluff: Minneapolis cannot issue variance to build on protected Mississippi River shore
The council voted unanimously to give Wattenhofer the variance.
Regulators with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources sued the city to stop the development, saying that allowing the small home to go up would set a bad precedent for the state’s Mississippi River bluff protections, opening the door for homes, mansions and apartments to be built throughout a protected 72-mile stretch of the river. The building would also permanently alter the area, removing vegetation and habitat in “one of the few remaining bluffs in the area,” the DNR argued in its lawsuit.
DNR officials said in a statement that they are pleased the court agreed to block the development.
“The Minnesota DNR takes very seriously its responsibility to protect the bluffs and shorelands of Minnesota’s public waters,” the statement read.
A city spokeswoman said that both Minneapolis and Wattenhofer have the right to appeal, but no decision has been made.
Wattenhofer said in an email that he is still sorting out what will happen next.