As a business owner in Otter Tail County and as a property owner on the Pelican group of lakes, I am sending this letter in support of the CUP application submitted by Homeland Development for their residential development proposed for Echo Bay.
I do not know the developers, nor do I have any relationship with them. As a business owner in the county, I am concerned that a group of risk takers can take the time, energy and capital to put together a plan that meets a number of unproven concerns and attempt to block a legal development for their own personal benefit.
Our cabin is on Fish Lake. Boat traffic generated by an Echo Bay development will pass in front of our cabin. I am convinced that this increased traffic will not exceed Fish Lake boat traffic which is currently generated by Pelican Lake boat owners on any windy summer weekend afternoon.
As I drive around the Pelican group of lakes, the density of boats and docks is astounding. Many cabins may have five boats moored on their 50 to 100 foot lots. The people and boat density of Echo Bay will be far less than what often exists on the shoreline of the protesters. The septic system impact of Echo Bay also appears to be better designed and more environmentally friendly than what current state law requires for existing cabins.
If the Echo Bay development currently meets all the state and county environmental and development laws, I encourage all lawmakers involved to support the application. Don't be swayed by a group of cabin owners who are protesting this development under false pretenses. Their attitude seems to be: "all that's mine is mine, and all that's yours is mine, too." I believe that our grandchildren went through that stage when they were about two years old.
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Nicholas M. Klaers
Pelican Rapids, Minn.
