Transition and Stability: Jack Hoeschler’s Gem Lake Planning Commission Years

by Jim Lindner, Gem Lake historian, February, 2023

Jack Hoeschler served as Gem Lake’s Planning Commission chair from January, 1998 until June, 2006. During his eight year tenure he guided city development through several important projects. First, Jack’s appointment as chair at the January, 1998 city council meeting ended a period of relative instability on the planning commission as it worked to find consistent leadership after longtime chair David Gardner retired in the early summer or 1997. Mayor Paul Emeott served briefly as interim chair as the search for a permanent chair continued.

Jack’s first task as chair was to guide the commission through the transition of the parcel purchased by the White Bear Montessori school from its previous church owners. Converting land from religious zoning to an educational use required rezoning. The result was the new “Institutional Overlay” district, a zoning category still in existence today. At the May, 1998 planning commission meeting the group voted to recommend city council approval of the institutional overlay district.

Jack brought to the planning commission expertise in land use concepts stemming from his role as an attorney who worked in the land use field. Familiar with points of view of both developers and affected citizens, he introduced concepts Gem Lake had not experienced before. One such concept was cluster zoning under the planned unit development (PUD) model.

The PUD model provided opportunities to meet overall zoning-mandated densities by placing houses closer together for the benefit of having large tracts of open space. During the October 12, 1998 planning commission meeting, Jack introduced the PUD model to the other commissioners, who were impressed with the potential of allowing development to have both unique housing placement and open space all part of the same parcel. The PUD model would play into several future Gem Lake development proposals.

Gem Lake’s status as a city with no municipal water system was part of discussions in 1999. City water would allow business owners to add fire protection to their buildings and not rely on individual wells for their drinking water. The benefits of municipal water was the subjects of discussions in early 1999. Also in 1999, Gem Lake homeowner William Kahl began negotiations with the city on subdividing his six acre parcel into smaller residential lots. Thus began a multiyear conversation on how best to allow Kahl to develop his property and win city approval.

Another development in the central portion of Gem Lake occurred in early 2000. Developer Mark Ashby purchased land and proposed a development known as “Hunter’s Run” which gained final planning commission approval the following September. Close on the heels of Ashby’s project came discussions in November, 2000 of a large tract of land on the waterbody of Gem Lake’s eastern shoreline, on lands owned by former Gem Lake planning commission chair, Judson Bemis. Shoreline setbacks and lake water protection had been on the planning commission’s docket since late 1999, and with potential development such protections became more relevant.

Minnesota statutes mandate that all cities create comprehensive plans to guide development within their borders. Municipal comprehensive plans drive all development and local zoning ordinances provide the legal requirements for any development. Thus it is incumbent upon cities to assure their planning and zoning documents are in agreement. Jack and the planning commission made it their task in the fall of 2001 to review the planning and zoning documents and look for those areas where they were not in agreement then work to correct deficiencies. Throughout the next several meetings, Jack guided planning commission work on amending zoning laws to better reflect planning goals.

One element of Gem Lake’s comprehensive plan is to work with its neighboring cities to realize goals that are impractical for inclusion within Gem Lake’s small borders. One such project was working with White Bear Lake in April, 2002 to provide bond funding for a senior housing development known as the Boulders in the western portion of White Bear Lake. Minnesota law gives cities bonding authority to construct project either within or outside of their own boundaries if the project is deemed to have a regional impact. Construction of the Boulders gives Gem Lake seniors an opportunity to live close to their old Gem Lake homes.

April, 2003 saw the beginning of what would become the biggest development project in Gem Lake’s history. The previously mentioned parcel owned by Judson Bemis was purchased by McNulty Homes and the conversation began that ultimately led to the Hilary Farm development. This large project had several public hearings on a variety of topics and dominated planning commission agendas for the next three years. Jack’s legal expertise was critical in obtaining final approval for the Hilary Farm design, which came in May, 2004 followed by the developer’s agreement, variance requests, and sewer requirements. The final result of all these discussions was the final Hilary Farm development, which brought nearly 30 new homes to Gem Lake. Lakeshore protection was a critical component of these negotiations as lakeshore regulations eventually led to the waterbody Gem Lake’s removal from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources impaired waterways list.

Jack Hoeschler resigned from the Gem Lake planning commission in June, 2006 leaving behind a legacy of consistency, innovation, and quality that Gem Lake’s future planning commissions have proudly upheld. Jack conducted meetings with a sense of humor and a drive that inspired other commissioners to strive to build a better city. His goal was always to assure Gem Lake had a strong voice in the face of multiple development requests, some large, some small, some standard, and some unique. Aside from these major land use issues, smaller items such as animal control, business applications, even telecommunications all appeared on agendas during Jack’s tenure. He handled them all with grace and professionalism with the result being a city that met its planning and zoning requirements and made the city council’s task of final approval easier. The council never denied any recommendation presented by Jack’s planning commission.