County Use of GIS Technology - St. Louis County

e nterprise Geographic Information System 

GIS County Utilization 

St. Louis County, Minnesota 

ST. LOUIS COUNTYMN 

Award Winning 

Integrating & Aligning Business Operations 

Setting the Foundation for Long-Term Success 

Draft: November, 2010 

Planning and Community Development 

© St. Louis County, MN 

What is GIS: A geographic information system (GIS) allows St. Louis 

County to view, understand, question, interpret, integrate, model, and 

visualize data in many ways that reveal relationships, patterns, and 

trends in the form of maps, globes, reports, and charts through print, 

web, and mobile mediums.

about GIS: Many people have heard of Geographic Information 

System (GIS) but may not be aware of the broad impact and the 

critical function it plays in the daily lives and operations of many 

residents, businesses, and government. GIS was first developed 

in 1963 and is a sophisticated geospatial enabled desktop, web, 

and mobile technology. It can be used to manage assets and 

resources to assist business operations by providing the ability 

to query, analyze, model, capture, update, store, and map large 

quantities of geospatial and non-geospatial data. 

Most of the information and discussions about our world contain 

references to a location or area. This location-based reference 

is enhanced by GIS technology, which enables businesses 

and government to connect and utilize geospatial and nongeospatial 

data together to create powerful tools for users, or 

in our case, St. Louis County. At the county government level, 

it is estimated that a majority of government data is locationbased 

such as: land ownership, buildings, survey corners, roads, 

emergencies, accidents, fires, sales, and a host of other data. 

This location-based information, or geospatial data, has become 

essential infrastructure and core function of government 

operations to improve enterprise productivity and efficiency. 

Furthermore, GIS technology allows users to layer geospatial 

information and connect to non-geospatial information to 

create an enhanced geo-enabled system. These can be added 

on top of each other or organized in a way that best suits the 

user’s interests. The end-user controls the amount of information 

by stacking information in layers for further analysis of resources 

and assets or to mobilize resources for a given task. This can all be 

done from all from a desktop, web, and/or mobile application. 

GIS can be simple, complex or anything in-between. Users can 

make a simple map or perform in-depth analysis, modeling, 

transportation routing, reporting, charting, image analysis, GPS 

tracking, and so on. Its application is limited only by the user’s 

imagination. 

A Map is 

Data 

Location (GIS) Based County Issues 

Land Ownership 

Buildings 

Survey Corners 

Roads, Bridges 

911 Dispatch 

Lakes 

Addressing 

Parks, Trails 

Accidents & Incidences 

Hazards 

Rivers/Streams 

Zoning 

Schools 

Construction 

Hospitals 

Emergency Shelters 

Sales 

Building Ownership 

Utilities 

Physical Road Inventories 

Permits 

Waste Treatment 

Health Incidences 

Crime, Fires 

St. Louis County, Minnesota 2 County GIS Use

GIS General Benefits 

Enterprise 

Better Decisions- Informed 

GIS is a tool to query, analyze, locate, spot conditions, 

portray trends, identify patterns, and model scenarios to 

support the decision making process through increased 

quality and depth of information. 

Improved Productivity and Efficiency 

GIS has streamlined many common tasks of government 

and business operations. Ultimately, GIS and a parcel layer 

will increase efficiency and productivity. GIS has improved 

management of government and resources by creating 

a shared database. One department can benefit from the 

work of another. Essentially, data can be collected once 

and used many times by many departments. 

Improved Data Managementl 

A common by-product of GIS is that information is 

better managed and formatted to be user-friendly. It 

also provides the ability to link databases for a clearer 

understanding of a particular issue or project. 

Improved Access to Information 

The greatest number of requests for information on St. 

Louis County’s web site was for parcel information from 

real estate businesses (e.g. appraisers, realtors, title search 

companies, developers) and residents. GIS parcel layer 

provides opportunities to quickly and efficiently get 

information to various end-users. 

Improved Data Quality and Standards 

As GIS grows across the enterprise, increasingly GIS data 

quality and standards are enforced and many times 

required to be able to interface with spatial technology. 

Shared and Leveraged Technology Platform 

GIS ensures that a common set of technologies and tools 

is used and that duplication is minimized by leveraging a 

common technology platform. 

Common Operating Picture 

GIS provides a common way for County personnel to view 

and use GIS software and data, thus reducing duplicate 

efforts and increasing and improving the way people see 

information through a common window. 

Locational Awareness 

GIS provides location based awareness that is critical in 

many aspects of County business operations. 


St. Louis CountY CONTEXT 

Comparison (for Context Purposes Only) 

Rhode Island 

Square Miles: 1,545 

(Land Area 1,045 and Water Area 500) 

Delaware 



Connecticut 



St. Louis County , Minnesota 



St. Louis County vs. States 

Comparison (for Context Purposes Only) 

To put St. Louis County’s size in perspective, it is relatively the 

same size as various states. This comparison only compares 

states to show our challenges which may require different 

approaches to our governance, data, transactional and 

processing, infrastructure and network, and applications and 

software direction. The sheer size of the county requires the 

county to deliver services in a different manner. The following 

are topics the county must keep in mind as it develops the 

county enterprise GIS program: 

Perspective: Requires a state type view of our 

GIS program and operations. Any project and/or 

initiative is an enourmous undertaking and all-duediligents 

must be incorporated into procedures. 

Data: Any data development is a large undertaking and 

can be costly. Plan early and get it right the first time. 

Infrastructure & Network: Any deployment needs 

to take into account the intense network demands, 

cost, and maintenance across county. 

Applications & Software: Any applications 

deployment needs to take into account access and 

server application demands per infrastruture and 

network capacity. 

New Jersey 


(Land Area 7,417 and Water Area 1,304) 

Vermont 



New Hampshire 



massachusetts 


(Land Area 7,838 and Water Area 2,717) 


Version 1.2 

rev. 2-17 

GIS County Use 

County Use of GIS 

E911 & Public Safety: GIS technology 

and geospatial data is used in St. Louis 

County’s E911 Computer Aided Dispatch 

(CAD) and 911 addressing by providing 

key data for 911 dispatchers to dispatch 

appropriate fire, police, ambulance, and 

first responders of nearly 180 emergency 

response agencies in St. Louis County. 

Land Records Management: A critical 

function of county government has been 

to track, record, and provide detailed 

information on land records at the parcel 

level. It provides tools to more efficiently 

conduct assessment, taxpayer services, 

and management of land records. 

Natural Resource Management: GIS 

helps departments manage, track, and 

monitor forest health and growth, fire 

and disease assessment, sensitive wildlife 

identification, administation of tax forfeit 

lands, wetlands, floodplains, watersheds, 

and surveying, assessing, locating and 

appraising of tax forfeit property. 

Community & Economic Development: 

The county is increasingly turning to GIS 

to promote community and economic 

development to strengthen the economic 

base of county communities by retaining 

and growing existing businesses and 

attracting new investment, and addressing 

community needs. 

Public Health: The county is increasingly 

using GIS technology in its Sub-Surface 

Treatment System (SSTS) management 

to enhance permitting, monitoring, and 

enforcement actions. 

Transportation: GIS has been used in 

planning and implementing infrastructure 

projects from roads and bridges to 

managing assets and planning for capital 

improvements. It is increasingly used to 

support surveying and field work. 

Planning: GIS assists departments 

conduct long-range planning by providing 

the ability to research, analyze, project, 

and map data. It also assists in parcel 

identication, permitting, zoning and 

land use administration, transportation 

networks, housing stock, residential, and 

more. 

Waste Management: Expanded usage 

of GIS involved with the overall high level 

management of waste management, 

canister sites, recycling, and hazardours 

waste. 

Emerging- County Use of GIS 

Facility Management: GIS is beginning 

to be used as a tool to help plan and 

manage the delivery of health and human 

service programs and to make the most 

efficient use of available resources. 

Human Services: GIS is beginning to be 

used as a tool to help manage emerging 

plans, and general planning support for 

human service programs. 


911 Communications Dispatch 

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Assists in Determining Appropriate Response: Provides 

Dispatchers Enhanced Details about Situation and Landscape 

There are 180 different emergency response agencies, thus determining 

the situation can improve response and save potential resources. With 

GIS, dispatchers have the ability to further assess the situation (e.g. aerial 

photography, water, elevation/terrain, access, nearby trails, wetlands, and 

nearby property owners for assistance) so that emergency response can be 

better prepared and responded too. 

Improves Emergency Response, Dispatching, & Tracking- AVL 

Real-time mapping information on police/ambulance locations (Automatic 

Vehicle Location- AVL), its destination, possible routes of travel for the 

shortest time interval to site, and can identify the distance the emergency 

response is from the callers location and update the caller as the emergency 

vehicle approaches. 

Identifies Location of Calls or Property Owners 

Identifies Exact Location of Cellular Phone Callers 

There is an ability for the parcel layer and GIS to combine technology that 

will pinpoint the location of cell phone callers (lost/injured) in relationship 

to the overall landscape and situation (GIS/parcel layer). Through this call, 

a dispatcher can direct emergency response based upon landscape. 

Assists Dispatcher Determine Location of Calls with Little Information 

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There are calls that have no information attached, so dispatchers must 

determine location of calls or locate property. Callers may not know the 

exact locations, but do know the property owner of the land they are on. 

This can quickly help identify or pinpoint the perverbial “hunting shack” to 

assist in locating the “lost, missing, or late” hunter. 

Improves Identifying Owners at Site of Incident 

The GIS and Land Information Portal would be particularly useful for 

burglary & break-in situations by helping locate information. 

Limits Mobilizing Search and Rescue Situations & Potential Tragedy 

A dispatcher can locate a lost hunter/hiker/camper, watch progress through 

GPS, and direct them out to safety (around lakes, wetlands, through trails) 

or to nearby property owners for further assistance. This could limit 

mobilizing search and rescue operations and potential tragedy. 

Limits Mobilizing Search and Rescue Situations & Potential Tragedy 

Provides a method of notifications in situations requiring evacuations 

(e.g. clearing a particular area due to a gas line break, etc.) by identifying 

(flagged) vulnerable adults within area for further assistance. 

Improves Process to Assign Rural Addresses 

Assists in the process of assigning rural addresses to new structures both 

commercial and residential. Currently, addresses are stamped on a paper 

map and inserted into the 911 dispatch system. 


sheriff 

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Improves Emergency Management 

1. Planning: Analyze and document potential emergencies or disasters, 

consequences or impacts upon life, property, environment, and assessing 

the hazards and risks. 

2. Mitigation: Activities that eliminate or reduce the probability of a 

disaster. 

3. Preparedness: Develop plans to save lives, minimize disaster damage, 

enhance disaster response operations, stockpiling vital supplies, 

preparing routes and response teams. 

4. Response: Emergency assistance for victims (e.g. search and rescue, 

shelter, medical care, food), stabilization of situation, reduce secondary 

damage (e.g. shutting off contaminated water supply sources, securing 

and patrolling looting-prone areas). 

5. Recovery: Security, cleanup, recovery, temporary housing, and access 

to food/water. 

Improves Crime Analysis 

Crime statistics portrayed geographically have the power to solve crimes or 

assist in patrolling to enhance public safety. By using GIS, mapping crime by 

category, the Sheriff’s Office can determine crime intensity, solve potential 

crimes, determine “hot spots,” create strategies to be proactive, and spot 

trends. In some cases, GIS was used to solve drug cases by linking sales 

data of cough medicine or cold tablets and found that a “bench chemist” 

was producing drugs with certain ingredients in the area. 

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Enhances Planning Efforts for Raids, Seizures, and Monitoring 

GIS provides background data and layout for law enforcement raids, 

seizures, and monitoring. It can provide quicker research and identification 

by showing property boundary and ownership information, improved 

access to legal descriptions for search warrant applications, and identify 

property owners for burglarized cabins and property. 

Improves Court Room Evidence 

Mapping capabilities can show a jury the spatial location of evidence and 

victims which provide a more comprehensive assessment of the situation. 

Improves Public Safety Policy 

GIS makes it possible to track the effectiveness of law enforcement programs 

such as: comparing accident data to determine the effectiveness of programs, 

comparing service calls before and after setting up a neighborhood patrol 

program, balancing workloads by drawing up more equitable patrol areas, 

and evaluating the results of selective enforcement plans. 

Helpful in Search and Rescue Situations 

Search and rescue situations require background information to set up 

search parameters, area details, property ownership, elevation, terrain, and 

many other factors that can be useful in finding the missing person. 

Improves Property Owner Notification 

Assists in identifying and notifying property owners who have been 

burglarized, vandalized, or other forms of property destruction. 


Miles 

Prepared By: Planning Department 

Planning, Research, & GIS Division 

(218) 725-5000 

www.co.st-louis.mn.us 

Team Credits: 

Source: 

Map Created: May 29, 2007 

Location: 

Tracking #: 

Notes: 

Disclaimer 

This is a compilation of records as they appear 

in the Saint Louis County Offices affecting the 

area shown. This drawing is to be used only 

for reference purposes and the County is not 

responsible for any inaccuracies herein 

contained. 

Copyright Saint Louis County 

© All Rights Reserved 

St. Louis County MN 

N 

0 0.01 0.02 0.04 0.06 

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188.71 

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290.71 

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SAMS STREET 

625.17 

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133.07 

130.41 

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RICHARD AVENUE 

215.6 

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60.01 

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EVEE DRIVE 

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HAINES 

HAINES 

375 

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HAINES 

927.1 

MAPLE GROVE 

Auditor 

CITY OF HERMANTOWN 

MAPLE GROVE ACRES and REARRANGEMENT OF MAPLE GROVE ACRES 

LINDGREN 

LINDGREN 

Legend 

Subdivision 

Roads 

Unidentified Parcels 

Parcels 

ROW 

2006 Aerial Photo 

MAPLE GROVE 

ACRES 

HERMANTOWN 

REARRANGEMENT 

OF MAPLE 

GROVE ACRES 

N 45-25-47 E 

42.03 

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Improves Service and Efficiency 

Improves Response Time to Data Requests 

Every year, thousands of requests are received from residents, appraisers, 

lawyers, real estate professionals, title companies, and others for parcel 

data on ownership, parcel location, acreage, last sale date, abstract/ 

torrens, last date document recorded, original plats, maps, land 

delineation, and lot dimensions (hundreds per month). Difficulties arise 

when this data is stored in various departments, data platforms (Excel, 

Access, MCIS, etc), and maps (plat books, range book, Carson maps, halfsection 

maps, U.S.G.S., Certificate of Survey, Township maps, etc.), and 

cannot be easily accessed. The end result is slower service to customers 

due to inefficient and outdated technology systems. 

Enhances Tracking and Updating Information 

GIS can easily track and modify information as new and additional 

information is recorded and provided by the residents. This information 

could be easily and immediately accessed by all. 

Eliminates Antiquated Process for Public Notification (Generating 

Owner Labels): 

The Auditor’s Office assists cities in developing mailing labels for public 

notification for variances and other development activities in order to 

notify adjoining property owners within a certain buffer. This antiquated 

process takes up hours to days for each query request. GIS significantly 

reduces the time for this process or can be completed by requesting city. 

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Web Portal: Enhances Access 24/7 

To some degree, access is available through the current parcel 

information web site. However, many of the data requests are 

geographically based and are not easily accessible by the current setup. 

Through a geographically based parcel layer coverage, a business or 

resident can use the web site any time of the day to conduct research that 

otherwise would be handled by county staff on the phone or at the front 

counter. This will greatly enhance services for commerce and residents 

who request data. 

Assists in Election Process 

The parcel layer and GIS assists the planning efforts in redistricting, 

reprecincting, projected growth for each precinct, voter analysis, voter 

education, voter counts, voter turnout, precinct election support, determine 

optimal polling sites, improving voter registration process, election day 

support of volunteers, and others. 

Converts Cadastral (Parcel) Recording from Paper to Digital 

Converting parcel recording from drawing on paper to digital GIS form will 

improve all areas of the Auditor’s Office and the County from eliminating 

book deteriortation and replacement, improves drawing accuracy, and 

eliminates multiple documents - one edit used many times. 


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Public Records & Property Valuation: Assessor 

ALDER AVE 

3780 ALDER AVENUE 

5151 COUNTRY ROAD 

395-0064-00080 

395-0064-00110 


COUNTRY RD 

395-0064-00100 

395-0062-00080 

s 

ndary Lines 

ns 

395-0064-00070 

UTM: 4813835,3341995 

395-0064-00100 

UTM: 4814124,3341971 

395-0062-00080 

UTM: 4814329,3341955 

RDS 

METRY 

395-0064-00070 

DEDICATED ROW 

DEDICATED ROW 


395-0064-00010 

UTM: 4814212,3341911 

COUNTRY LN 

395-0064-00060 


395-0066-00050 

5161 COUNTRY LANE 

395-0064-00010 

395-0062-00150 

395-0064-00090 

5173 COUNTRY LANE 

395-0064-00060 

UTM: 4813992,3341706 

395-0064-00020 

UTM: 4814062,3341705 

395-0064-00020 

N 

Development 

rch, & GIS Division 

n.us 

nt Projects\Addressing Standards 

Disclaimer 

This is a compilation of records as they 

appear in the St. Louis County Offices 

affecting the area shown. This drawing 

is to be used only for reference purposes 

and the County is not responsible for any 

inaccuracies herein contained. 

© Copyright St. Louis County All Rights Reserved 

Addressing: Residential Structure & Driveway 

DK 

486' 

0 5 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 

Enterprise Data Development 

2.8' 

1/C 

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24' 

7.5' 

1/B 

354' 

Feet 

2/B 

1073' 

AG/F 

650' 

OP 

12' 

3' 7' 

2.8' 

1/C 

11.9' 

SOO 

40' 

1/C 

11.9' 

2.8' 

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Fair and Equitable Assessment 

A parcel map would help both county and local assessors to locate parcels 

from various points of view that affect value and classification. Such points 

of view include location with regard to access (roads, water, trails); location 

with regard to man-made features both good (parks, malls, hospitals, 

schools) and unpleasant (active gravel pits, junkyards); location with regard 

to natural features both good (lakes, rivers, panoramic views) and bad 

(erosion areas, low lands subject to seasonal flooding); location with regard 

to market trends (changes in demographics, investment opportunities); and 

location with regard to legal use (zoning laws, habitat restrictions). 

Improves Real Estate Record Analysis 

The Assessor’s Office receives innumerable amounts of data requests from 

real estate professionals researching information on comparable sales, 

acreage, bath and bedroom counts, assessments, taxes, land values, price 

per acres, and a host of other facts. Such data requests have made the 

Assessor’s staff de facto research assistants. GIS will substantially reduce the 

number of these requests. 

Improves Assessment Tracking and Analysis 

Improves Sales Trend Trackings: GIS is being used more and more to 

display such sales trends as price paid per acre or front footage, depreciation 

of existing buildings as markets heat up or cool off, effects of recent changes 

in legal use on a market, influx of out-of-county buyers, conversion of parcels 

from one use to another. Such displays can be used by assessors to write 

valuation schedules and by taxpayers to judge the reasonableness of their 

57 

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market values and the reasons behind increases/decreases. 

Provides Ability to Match Undocumented New Construction & 

Structures to a Parcel: An appraiser who comes across undocumented 

structures, or first-time new construction, can use the GIS parcel layer to 

identify the parcel and its owner. 

2/B 

1199' 

DK 

264' 

Improves Auditing Assessment 

Enhances Administration Functions: GIS can be used to display such sales 

trends as price paid per acre or front footage, depreciation of existing sales. 

Provides Equalization Support: Parcel maps can display assessed values 

of parcels side-by-side throughout a neighborhood, township, or region. 

Assessors can compare, for instance, the consistency of their estimated 

market values on contiguous 40-acre parcels, or platted lots. 

Assists Board of Appeal and Equalization: GIS helps the Appeal Board 

members to “get their bearings” as taxpayers come in one at a time and 

appeal the value/class on a particular parcel. GIS maps would help the 

board make judgements with regard to locale, neighboring influences. 

• Improves Service and Efficiency 

Improves Response Time to Data Requests: GIS data is linked through 

a web portal to reduce information requests by phone calls, walk-in, and 

e-mail questions regarding basic assessment data. A web site using a 

parcel map allows the internet user to drill down to the parcel level to find 

such information and compare properties. This would significantly reduce 

employee time devoted to data gathering. 


Public Records & Property Valuation: Recorder 

MT IRON ECONOMIC 

DEVELOPMENT AUTH 


DEVELOPMENT 

AUTH 


DEVELOPMENT AUTH 

NORTHWARD 

PROPERTIES LLC 

NORTHWARD PROPERTIES LLC 

Private Individual 

(Nikolanci) 

CITY OF MT IRON 

MESSIAH LUTHERAN CHURCH MT IRON 

175-0070-01430 

175-0071-00870 

HRA OF 

MT IRON 

HOUSING & 

REDEVELOPMENTPrivate Individual 

AUTHORITY (Johnson) 

HOUSING & 

REDEVELOPMENT 

AUTHORITY 

Private Individual 

(Roskoski) 

175-0071-01550 

175-0071-01582 

• 

Improves Review Processes 

Currently, when examining documents, the Recorder’s Office in many 

instances must access maps and data in other departments to complete 

a review and determination of a document. This method slows down the 

process and ties up staff in several departments. For example: the Examiner 

of Titles and the Recorder’s staff must review maps from scattered sources 

when examining and reviewing documents. Often they must physically 

go to the Auditor’s Tax Department or call the County Surveyor’s office, 

causing additional staff workload in all departments. With GIS, Recorder’s 

staff can internally review documents, saving time for both departments. 

Prepared By: 

Team Credits: 

Planning & Development Disclaimer 

Planning, Research, & GIS Division This is a compilation of records as they appear in the Saint 

(218) 725-5000 

Louis County Offices affecting the area shown. This drawing 


is to be used only for reference purposes and the County is not 

Planning, Land, PW, 911 

responsible for any inaccuracies herein contained. 

Source: St. Louis County, DNR 

Map Created: 3/24/2008 


• 

N 

Assists Cleaning-Up Parcels with Clouded Property Titles 

Many developments are well down the road of securing private and public 

dollars, permits, and bids only to hit an obstacle of a clouded property title. 

Title problems can be expensive, cause delays, or kill a project. There are key 

parcels in Duluth and 0 other communities 0.05 0.1that remain undeveloped in part 

because clearing the title can be cumbersome, and the city or developer is 

Miles 

unwilling to take on the responsibility of clearing title. 

• Improves Service and Efficiency 

Quick Drill Down- Improves Ability to Review Documents 

Mountain Iron, MN 

Quickly/Easily: 

GIS will dramatically improve the ability of Recorder’s staff, businesses, 

• Assists in Certificate of Title Determination School District (ISD 703, 712) and residents surrounding to quickly area search, ownership 

locate, and review a wide range of legal 

A review of GIS will assist Recorder’s staff in assessing the need for a residue documents. Currently, there is no ability for searches by address, which 

certificate of title as part of a transaction. 

causes problems (additional research) of locating the correct documents 

filed on a particular property. 

• Enhances Business Interaction 

Improves Response Time to Data Requests: The Recorder’s Office receives 

Identifies Exact Location of Cellular Phone Callers 

innumerable phone calls, e-mails and written requests from people looking 

The Recorder’s Office records documents and creates certificates that 

for objective data such as lot size, recording data of documents, whether 

many businesses seek for its normal business transactions. These 

Torrens or Abstract, and the existence of liens or encumbrances. With GIS, 

businesses are title companies or attorneys doing title searches, abstracts, 

recorded documents and data can be quickly searched and located, thus 

owners and encumbrance reports, title insurance, and much more. With 

reducing the amount of time for each request. 

GIS, a business can quickly query and locate a person or property (by 

address, legal description or clicking on property– the latter of which • Web Portal: Enhances Access 24/7 

currently does not exist), and begin the review process. This improves the A web site using a parcel map that allows the internet user to drill down 

efficiency of the businesses and reduces the amount of time county staff 

to the parcel level to find such information would significantly reduce 

spends helping businesses locate a site. 

employee time devoted to such mundane data gathering. 


Comet Island 

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2 

6 

8 RES-10 

RES-10 

126 

2ND ST N 

Matson Island 

RES-9 

RES-9 

-0 

7 

3 

1 

RES-3 

4 2 FAM-3 1 

3 

6 

10 

4 

697 

2ND ST N 

6 7 

4 

2 

5 

RES-10 

RES-10 

VERMILION 

RES-10 

2 

RES-10 

GD-69037800 

RES-10 

RES-10 

2 

RES-10 

4 

4 

3 

RES-9 

1 

1 

3 

RES-10 

RES-10 

RES-10 

2 

1 

RES-10 RES-10 

Ely Island 

RES-10 

6 

5 

Rasberry Island 

2 

3 

RES-10 

3 5 

4 

RES-10 

4 

RES-9 

RES-10 

RES-10 

8 

7 RES-10 

RES-10 

5 

3 

RES-10 3 

2 

6 

1 

RES-10 

5 

RES-10 RES-10 

1 

RES-10 

RES-11 

5 

Crosby Rd N 

RES-8 

4 

2 

8 

RES-10 

5 

3 

12 

11 

11 

RES-10 

RES-10 

2 

3 

4 

5 

MUNS-5 

Lands within 300 feet of rivers, shall 

have same dimensional standards as adjacent 

non-shoreland area. Except for St. Louis, 

Crosby Rd N 

1 

RES-8 

3 

6 

2 

9 

1 

RES-10 

RES-4 

RES-10 

5 

RES-11 

RES-10 

7 

-0 

- 

3 

RES-4 

MUNS-4 

8 

9 

RES-1 

MUNS-4 

JUCTION 

3 

2 

RES-9 

5 6 - VERMILION 4 SENS-1 

9 

RES-9 

RES-9 

RES-1 7 GD-69037800 

FAM-3 

RES-9 

RES-1 

RES-8 

3 

RES-9 

4 

SENS-1 

RES-10 

RES-7 4 3 

1 

2 1 

RES-10 

3 2 1 

4 

8 

5 

5 

BASS 

RES-10 

RD-69044600 

7 

9 

6 

6 

7 

6 

4 

7 

8 9 

RES-10 

4 

1 

RES-10 4 

Struntz Island 

11 

RES-10 

RES-1 

RES-4 

2 1 

RES-11 

2 

7 

RES-4 

1 

4 

RES-10 

RES-10 

5 

3 

RES-1 

MAIN 

RES-12 

FAM-3 

ST 

4 

FAM-3 

5 

RES-10 

9 

2 

LIU-10 

10 

1 

8 

RES-1 

2 

RES-3 

3 

FAM-3 

ST 

1 

10 

RES-9 RES-9 

1 

4 3 

RES-10 

RES-10 

7 

RES-1 

4 

MUNS-4 

Birch Island 

5 

2 

6 

RES-10 

3 2 

1 

RES-4 

1 

7 

RES-10 

1 

169 

3 

OLD 

9 

2 

RES-10 

Timber Island 

4 3 2 1 4 3 2 

8 

169 

4 

9 

8 

10 

RES-10 6 7 RES-10 5 4 

RES-10 6 

RES-10 

RES-10 

9 

8 

8 

RES-3 

FAM-2 

FAM-3 

FAM-2 

RES-8 

2 

RES-10 

5 

RES-4 

1 

RES-10 

7 

7 

FAM-2 

2 

RES-2 

1 

1 

11 

6 

3 

4 

4 3 

UNNAMED 

NE-69103800 

7 

5 

1 

5 

6 

4 

6 

RES-10 

2 

1 

2 

3 

3 

4 

4 

5 

3 

3 

6 

4 

3 

4 

2 

1 

4 3 

5 

5 

8 

1 

2 

SMU-10 

2 

7 

6 

7 

2 

1 

1 

8 

9 

FAM-1 

3 

1 

RES-5 

5 6 

2 

FOUR MILE 

2 NE-69028100 

4 3 

1 

5 

FIVE MILE 

NE- 

69028800 

4 

LAWLER 

NE-69027600 

FAM-1 

MUNS-4 

FAM-1 

RES-1 

FAM-1 

FAM-3 

FAM-1 

RES-5 

RES-5 

This zoning map was prepared on 

November 16, 1995. It is 

effective on January 29, 1996. 

For any subsequent changes contact the 

St. Louis County Planning & Zoning Department. 

4 

6 

3 

Omnimax/Duluth 

10 Movie Theater 

St. Louis County MN 

N 

Planning & Community Development 

6 ST W 

5 ST W 

4 ST W 

MESABA PL 

¬« 194 

Parking 

2 ST W 

St. Louis 

County 

Courthouse 

PRILEY DR 

St. Louis 

County Motor 

Pool Garage 

N 4 AVE W 

Duluth 

City Hall 

Duluth News 

Tribune 

Parking 

Board 

of Trade 

Building 

Qwest 

Palladio 

Building 

Missabe 

Building 

N 3 AVE W 

AT&T 

Blustin Optical Center 

Salon 

Capelli 

ARDC 

YMCA 

Blustin Optical 

Center 

Providence 

Building 

SUPERIOR ST W 

Holiday Inn 

Parking 

Ramp 

Torrey 

Building 

Medical 

Arts 

Building 

Lonsdale 

Building 

Alworth 

Building 

North 

Shore 

Bank 

Holiday 

Center 

Wells 

Fargo 

Building 

N 2 AVE W 

Holiday 

Inn Hotel 

Minnesota 

Surplus 

S 3 AVE W 

North 

Shore 

Bank 

Maurices 

Inc 

S 2 AVE W 

Sellwood 

Building 

Ace 

Hardware 

Duluth Transit Authority 

US Bank 

Parking US Bank Parking Ramp 

DR 

LAKE PLACE 

SUTPHIN ST 

Green 

Mill 

Canal Park Lodge 

Hampton 

Inn 

The Inn on Lake 

Superior 

MESABA AVE 

CANAL PARK 

Skywalk 

Parking 

Structures 

Depot Project Areas 

Site Plan 

Area Master Plan 

Area Master Plan Transition 

N 9 

AVE W 

N 8 AVE W 

N 7 AVE W 

N 7H 

AVE W 

UNKNOWN 

3 ST W 

1 ST W 

BIGOS-LENOX 

PLACE 

U.S. 

Federal 

Courthouse 

N 6 AVE W 

Incline Station 

Bowling 

Center 

Parking 

Gateway 

Towers 

S 6 AVE W 

N 5 AVE W 

Radisson Hotel 

Duluth Harborview 

Parking 

Duluth Public 

Library 

Union 

Depot 

§¨¦ 35 

Ordean 

Building 

MICHIGAN ST W 

S 

Stanley 

Center 

5 AVE W 

4th Ave Auto Park 

RAILROAD ST 

DECC 

Parking 

Ramp 

Duluth Entertainment 

Convention Center 

(DECC) 

Duluth Entertainment 

Convention 

Center (DECC) 

Subway/On 

The Canal 

Salon 

Duluth 

Pack 

BUCHANAN 

LAKE AVE S 

DR 

ST 

MORSE ST E 

Grandma's 

Saloon 

& Grill 

Comfort 

Suites 

Lake Superior 

Maritime 

Visitor Center 

S 4 AVE W 

Great Lakes 

Aquarium 

HARBOR DR 

Lake 

Superior 

S 8 AVE W 

XRAMP 

Lois 

Paulucci Music 

Pavilion 

8 ST S 

GLEN PL 

MINNESOTA AVE 

Prepared By: St. Louis County 

Planning & Development Department 

(218) 725-5000 


Team Credits: Planning, Property Management, Public Works, Land 

Source: 

Map Created: 

• 

• 

St. Louis County 

4/28/2009 

36 

St. Louis County 31 

32 

33 

34 

35 

Proposed Zoning Map Breitung 62-15 

Disclaimer 


appear in the St. Louis County Offices 




inaccuracies herein contained. 1 6 

© Copyright St. Louis County 

All Rights Reserved 

Pike Bay 

") 

12 

24 

!( 

380-0010-06070 

5900 

5700 

5500 NICKERSON 5300 L 5100 

MONTGOMERY 

Streamlines the Land-Use Permitting Process 

5 4 3 2 

1 6 

River Classification & Setbacks 

2300 

2100 

1900 

13 18 17 

")") 

1100 1300 1500 1700 

")") 

19 

25 30 

36 

ECHO 

POINTRD 

7 

S WAMP 

31 

HOODOO POINT RD 

POINT RD 

Zone Districts 

Forest Agricultural Management 

£¤ 

Fam-1, 2, 3 

Residential 

Res-1, 1a, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 

Shoreland Mixed Use 

Smu-1, 2, 3, 3a, 4, 4a, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 

Multiple Use Non-Shoreland 

Muns-2, 3, 4, 5, 7 

Sensitive Areas 

Sens-1,2, 3, 5 

Industrial 

Ind-4 

Limited Industrial 

Liu-1, 4, 5, 10, 11 

Non-Shoreland Commercial 

Com-4, 6, 7, 11 

Lake Superior Overlay 

Lso-10 

Union Depot - Planimetrics & Skywalks 

5 

5 

4 

3 

2 

1 

6 

Historic St. Louis County Part Union of: Depot Grand - Site Lake Plan 51-16, & Area Section Master 31 Plan 

Bass Bay 

St. Louis County, MN 

8 

20 

29 

32 

!(!( 

McKINLEY 

380-0010-06055 

COLLELO ANTHONY 

9 10 11 

") 

PARK RD 

16 

21 22 23 

28 

Stuntz Bay 

15 

27 

33 34 

RD 

RES-10 RES-10 

9/16/2008 

representation in relation to lakes, rivers, roads, and other features. 

BAY RD 

STUNTZ 

Klimek Rd 

JASPER 

Nickerson Rd 

OLD HWY 1 69 

14 

26 

Armstrong Bay 

£¤ £¤ 

Currently, land-use permitting requires residents to provide a lot description 

Tributaries 

100 ft. 

É É É É É É É Primitive 

300 ft. 

when applying for a permit, and to determine setback requirements 

! ! ! SLC Remote 200 ft. 

É É É É É É É Recreational 150 ft. 

for each proposal. Problems arise when residents have ! lengthy ! ! Rural / Agricultural legal 200 ft. 

É É É É É É É Urban 

100 ft. 

! ! ! Trout Streams 150 ft. 

descriptions with various dimensions and angles, making it difficult to 

É É É É É É É DNR Remote 200 ft. 

! ! ! DNR Forested 150 ft. 

determine lot dimensions over the phone or e-mail. By developing a 

digital parcel layer, staff can quickly identify parcels and their geographical 

Cloquet, Whiteface, and Vermilion rivers. St. Louis County Board Resolution No. 346 St. Louis County Board Resolution No. 961 

380-0010-06100 

Adopted May 6, 1997 

Adopted December 19, 1995. 

FINNISH 

WORKMEN SOC 

Enhances Economic Development 

St. Louis County has expanded its role in economic development over 

the past several years through the adoption of economic development 

strategies. However, its capacity to conduct pre-planning and research 

to bring development into reality is limited without a parcel layer map. A 

digital parcel layer will assist business research and assess potential sites for 

business and commerce. All entities are limited in assessing sites because 

of the research needed to determine ownership, routes of infrastructure to 

minimize impacts and cost, and many others. 

• Improves Long-Range Planning 

Every community in St. Louis County has a comprehensive plan that is 

administered by the county or local jurisdiction. These plans are based 

upon an array of information, trends, and input. GIS assists residents and 

government in making informed decisions based upon sound data, such 

as an existing land-use map, proposed zoning map, etc. 

35 

HWY 

36 

380-0010-06050 

12 SHELTON 

7 

LAWRENCE G 

13 

24 

25 

36 

MUD 

CREEK RD 

31 

18 

OLD HWY 169 

380-0010-06071 

19 

SHELTON 

WILLIAM J 

30 

31 

MUD 

CREEK 

RD 

32 

20 

8 

17 

29 

32 

N 

0 120 240 480 720 960 

4900 

4700 

4500 

• Planning Commission & BOA Decision Support 

1 

6 

5 

Road Functional Classifications 

& Road Setbacks 

Lake Classification 

& Shoreline Setbacks 

Louis Ct 

Klimek Rd 

380-0010-06069 

FLEISCHAUER 

RICHARD ETUX 

380-0010-06074 

LEE BRENT ETUX 

380-0010-06075 

MATTSON 

RICHARD A ETAL 

380-0010-06076 

PETERSON RICHARD 

B& GAIL M LVG TRST 

380-0010-06077 

OLSON ROLAND R 

380-0010-06063 

FLEISCHAUER 

RICHARD ETUX 

Legend 

Parcels 

The Planning and Community Development Department prepares a 

Principal and Minor Arterial 110 ft. 

Major Collectors general 85 ft. set of maps for the Board of Adjustment (BOA) and Planning 

Minor Collectors 

68 ft. 

Commission (PC). These maps identify the site with various backgrounds 

General Development - GD 75ft. 

Recreational Development - RD 

such 

100ft. 

as: zoning, wetlands, aerial photography, 0 35 70elevation, 140 210 280 etc. Currently, 

Natural Environment - NE 150 ft. 

Feet 

staff must draw in the legal representation of the parcel and then create 

Prepared By: Planning & Development 


(218) 725-5000 


´ the maps. A digital parcel layer will reduce the amount of time it takes to 

Team Credits: Planning, Land, Public Works, 911 


1 Inch = 1 Mile 


generate 380-0010-06110 the maps since all parcels are stored electronically. This process is 

Disclaimer 

NICKERSON L MONTGOMERY 


appear in the Saint Louis County Offices 


done over a hundred times a year. 



inaccuracies herein contained. 

Copyright St. Louis County 

© All Rights Reserved 

• Improves Public Notification 

Public notification methods for conditional-use and variance requests are 

antiquated. Currently, when the Planning and Community Development 

Department receives a request for a conditional-use permit (e.g. 

commercial, sales, service) or variance, the department must notify 

adjoining landowners and landowners within a specified vicinity. For 

example, to do a plat notification (1/2 mile radius from project), staff must: 

1) highlight the area on paper copy from the plat book and identify 1/2 mile 

radius; 2) identify plats through the plat index book; 3) list plats, sections, 

etc., of area specified on paper; 4) identify homeowners from Minnesota 

Counties Information System (MCIS) and copy them to a document to 

generate labels. This process takes an enormous amount of staff time and 

is a process conducted several hundred times a year. A digital parcel layer 

and GIS technology will greatly reduce the amount of staff time it takes to 

determine and notify adjoining property owners. 

Feet 


JAY COOKE STATE PARK 

Fond du Lac Park 

35 

N.B. Merritt Memorial Park 

Magney Snively Natural Area 

35 

Spirit Mountain Recreation Area 

Spirit Mountain Rec Area 

Lake Superior Zoo 

Indian Point Campground 

Bayview Park 

35 

35 

35 

Brewer Park 

8 St W 

Grand Ave 


35 

N 40 Ave W 

S 40 Ave W 

35 

Wheeler Athletic Complex 

35 

Piedmont Ski parking 

N 27 Ave W 

1 0 St W 

Lincoln Park 

Superior St W 

N 24 Ave W 

53 

53 


535 

535 

535 

53 

Arlington Athletic Complex 

Lake Superior College 

Michigan St W 

Enger Park 

Ma l Dr 

Central Park 

Superior St W 

Railroad St 

Park Point Recreation Area 

Skyharbor Airport 

Park Point Hiking Trail Park 

Duluth International Airport 




Duluth Public Library 

The Depot 

Aquarium DECC 

Minnesota Point Shoreline 



N 1 Ave E 

Lake Ave N 

Lake Ave S 

N 3 Ave E 

N 2 Ave E 

7 St E 

35 

N 6 Ave E 


N 7 Ave E 



N 10 Ave E 

Chester Bowl 



St. Scholastica 

Chester Park 


N 14 Ave E 


N 19 Ave E 

Superior St E 

London Rd 

Bagley Nature Area (UMD) 

N 21 Ave E 

UMD 

N 24 Ave E 

Hartley Park (approximate) 


S 26 Ave E 

Congdon Park 

N 34 Ave E 

Glensheen Mansion 

N 36 Ave E 

121 

ST10 

Sni v ely R d 

Hawk Ridge 

Lake Park Athletic Complex 

Jennette Pollay Park 

Amity Park 

Hawk's Ridge Observation Area 

Lester Park Golf Course 

Kitchi Gammi Park (Brighton Beach) 

Moose Hill Park 

Congdon Blvd 

land 

Public Lands 

City of Duluth 

ST 

ST 44 

43 

ST 56 

ST GV 48 9 

ST 

£¤ 35 53 

GV 4 

ST 34 

ST 6 £¤ 53 

ST 36 

ST 2 

ST 

£¤ 40 

2 

ST 17 

ST 56 

GV 13 ST 37 

ST 19 ST 48 GV 91 

ST 

ST ST 43 

45 11 ST 

GV 91 

ST 32 

ST 

ST 10 

54 

ST 73 ST 14 ST 89 

ST 90 ?A@ 194 

GV 

£¤ 9 

53 

GV ST 54 

91 GV 4 

£¤ 53 

?A@ 210 ST 3 ST 12 

£¤ 53 ?A@ ST 23 

33 

£¤ 2 

?A@ 61 

ST 33 

?A@ 23 ST 61 

?A@ 23 ?A@ 39 

Becks Rd 

Midway Rd 

Idaho St 

Cloquet Rd N 

Old Hwy 61 

Thompson Hi l Rd 

Ida ho St 

88 Ave W 

Mountain Dr 

Mo ris Thomas Rd 

Stark Rd 

Skyline Pkwy W 

Ugstad Rd N 

St Louis River Rd 

4 St 

Boundary Ave S 

5 Ave N 



2 Ave N 

Boundary Ave N 

Vinland St 

Maple Grove Rd 

Skyline P kwy W 

S 63 Ave W 

Raleigh St 

Waseca St 

N 63 Ave W 

Lesure St 

Cody St 

Getchell Rd 

Skyli n e Pkwy W 

N 59 Ave W 

Ramsey St 

Bristol St 

Morris Thomas Rd 

Highland St 

N 57 Ave W 

Central Ave N 

Ugstad Rd 

Mike Colali lo Dr 

Haines Rd 

Hermantown Rd 

Haines Rd 

Carlton St 

Lavaque Rd 

Stebner Rd 

Piedmont Ave 

Anderson Rd 

Skyline Pkwy W 

Decker Rd 

Piedmont Ave 

Garfield Ave 

Burning Tree Rd 

Lavaque By Pass 

Airport Rd 

Sundby Rd 

Air Base Rd 

Maple Grove Rd 

A rowhead Rd W 

Arlington Ave S 

N 10 Ave W 

Minnesota Ave 

Unknown 

Lake Ave S 

Airport Rd 

Arlington Ave N 

Pecan Ave 

Rice Lake Rd 

Skyline Pkwy E 

Rice Lake Rd 

Kenwood Ave 

Kent Rd 

Junction Ave 

Co lege St W 

S 21 Ave E 

Kirby Dr 

Kent Rd E 

Library Dr 

Clover St 

St Marie St W 

Wa 

la c e Ave 

Maxwe l Ave 

Anoka St W 

Calvary Rd E 

Redwing St W 

Oxford St E 

Calvary Rd 

Livingston Ave 

N 40 Ave E 

Tischer Rd W 

Howard Gnesen Rd 

Woodland Ave 

N 43 Ave E 

N 45 Ave E 

N 47 Ave E 

Martin Rd 

Skyline Pkw y E 

Crosley Ave 

Glenwood St 

N 52 Ave E 

Oakley St 

N 60 Ave E 

Arnold Rd 

Schultz Rd 

Jean Duluth Rd 

Tischer Rd N 

Lismore Rd 

Strand Rd 

Zimmerman Rd 

Lester River Rd 

Tischer Rd N 

North Shore Dr 

Roberg Rd 

Mcquade Rd 

Lismore Rd 

Lakewood Rd 

Legend 

XC ski, hiking, and multipurpose trails 

City of Duluth Parks 

State of MN Owned/managed lands 

DNR owned land 

St of MN Tax Forfeit (C278 L35) County Managed 

City of Duluth 

Prepared by: Planning & Development 


Duluth North Shore Sanitary District 

(218) 725-5000 

DEDA 


Duluth Airport Authority 

Team Credits: Planning, Land, Public Works, 911 

Duluth Seaway Port Authority 


Duluth Transit Authority 


Duluth HRA 

MN State Parks 


DISCLAIMER 

This is a compilation of records as they appear in the 

St. Louis County Offices affecting the area shown. This 

drawing is to be used only for reference purposes and 

the County is not responsible for any inaccuracies 

herein contained. 

µ 

0 0.5 1 2 3 4 

Miles 

LDKey:26446 City of Duluth 

Tract# 3 

C22090176 Twp:50 Rng:14 Sec: 21 

Acres+/-0.47 CVT:10 Plat: 400 

Zoning:R2 Parcel(s):770 

Land $21,000.00 

Timber $0.00 

Improvements $0.00 

Certified Assessments $0.00 

Total $21,000.00 

Potential Future Assessments: $0.00 

City of Duluth Treasurer........ 218.730.5350 

City of Duluth City Hall.....… 218.730.5000 

City of Duluth Assessor......... 218.730.5190 

Legal Description: 

Lot 8 Block 5 NLY 1/2, CENTRAL ACRES 2ND 

DIVISION DULUTH 

Comments: 

Vacant wooded 132' x 156' lot overlooking Central Entrance with road frontage on Myrtle Street. A 

dense mix of spruce, aspen, ash and alder cover this mostly steep property. All utilities are available 

to this parcel. This parcel is zoned R2, which requires 5,000 sq ft of lot area and 50' of frontage on a 

maintained city street to meet zoning requirements. Check with the City of Duluth Treasurer's office 

for any assessments. Subject to all existing easements of record and rights of way. Recording Fee 

$46.00. 

Driving Directions: 

From Central Entrance East in Duluth, turn north onto Myrtle Place for approximately one 

block. Follow Myrtle Place as it curves to the east (right) and turns into Myrtle Street East. 

Stay on Myrtle Street East and follow it for approximately 0.2 of a mile until reaching the 

subject which is located on the south (right) side. 

Parcel from February 11, 2010 auction Tract #2 

• 

• 

• 

Improves Forest Resource Management 

Currently, the Land Department maintains its own tax forfeit trust lands 

parcel layer which serves as a base for the forest cover type layer. The 

cover type layer is the principal layer the department uses for managing 

900,000 acres of tax forfeit trust lands. GIS has eliminated the need for 

the department to maintain its own parcel layer, and would help the 

department in its landscape level planning efforts in identifying adjacent 

owners whom the department can take into consideration in developing its 

long and short term plans. 

Assists in Suitability of Sale and Exchange 

One of the responsibilities of the Land Department is to classify the tax 

forfeit lands as to their suitability for management, sale, exchange or 

conveyance. Knowing the public and private ownership patterns adjacent 

to tax forfeit lands greatly assists in this classification. 

Improves Management of Urban Tax Forfeit Parcels 

Currently, urban tax forfeit parcels are indicated on paper maps or not at 

all. GIS assists in identifying areas where trash and trespass on tax forfeit 

parcels is a problem. Having a readily available map of the parcel locations 

would improve the efficiency of inventory and periodic inspection of 

these parcels. Overlaying the parcels with topographic features, water 

features and aerial photos would assist with the classification of these 

parcels as to future disposition. 

• 

• 

Enhances the Tax Forfeit Land Sales Process 

GIS helps in the land appraisal process by enabling the appraiser to use the 

County Assessor’s data and other location data more efficiently. Adjacent 

and similar parcels could be easily brought up for display and analysis. 

Sale maps would be easier to prepare and automated processes could be 

set up to display these maps on the internet. Many of the processes the 

Land Department now has to manage its tax forfeit parcel database would 

be eliminated or simplified as these processes would become part of the 

county wide parcel layer database. Duplication of databases would be 

eliminated as a parcel layer would provide a link to the other parcel related 

databases in the Auditor’s and Recorder’s offices. 

Improves General Administration 

Locating Tax Forfeit Parcels: Locating tax-forfeit parcels can be challenging 

at times. Many residents and businesses want information regarding public 

lands. GIS will allow county staff, residents, and businesses to quickly 

identify parcels and details about the land. 

Improved Notification of Adjoining Land Owners: Public notification 

systems for land sale requests are antiquated. GIS would provide the 

ability to quickly and easily identify adjoining property owners for public 

notification. 


Public Works 

• 

• 

Improves Parcel Research and Right-of-Way Acquisition 

Assists in Parcel Research: GIS is useful in gathering data and details 

on a parcel quickly and easily through a future web portal. Currently, 

Public Works accesses various forms of information from various county 

departments, which takes considerable time and effort. This information 

includes: Assessor’s-parcel sale information, value, classifications; 

Auditor’s- ownership, legal description, size, plats, board resolutions; 

Communications- addressing and road names for notification; Healthseptic 

information; Land-tax forfeit land information for borrow pits, etc; 

Planning- zoning, set backs, lot requirements, etc.; Recorder’s- recorded 

documents (deeds, etc.). 

Preliminary Determination of Right-of-Away Acquisitions: In county 

road projects, right-of-way needs are assessed and researched. GIS 

provides the ability to quickly determine preliminary impacts. 

Minimizing Property Impact: The GIS and Land Information Portal would 

be particularly useful for burglary & break-in situations by helping locate 

information. 

Improves Identifying Right-of-Way Encroachment 

GIS has the ability to highlight areas where property owners who are 

encroaching (building structures, or impacting) on public right-of-ways. 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Survey Monuments 

GIS is useful in identifying locations of survey monuments in relationship 

to township, section, quarter-quarter, and parcel lines. Survey monuments 

will be used to draw the parcel layer and updated as new survey 

monuments are obtained. 

Improves Entrance and Utility Permit Process 

Provides expanded ability to improve the overall process for businesses and 

residents to determine road classification and contact numbers to obtain 

a road entrance permit. It also assists staff in determining culvert sizes of 

adjacent property, history of area culverts and upgrades, development 

activity (new plats, structures) for assessing potential additional run-off, and 

determining culvert sizes for a particular project. 

Improves Public Access to Information 

The public seeks a host of information regarding existence of right-of-way, 

width, scope, impacts, and other general questions relating to right-ofways, 

projects, etc. 

Improves Public Notification 

Public notification would be improved for a variety of road and bridge 

projects. Currently, Public Works expends hundreds of hours a year sending 

public notifications to adjoining or impacted property owners. GIS and the 

parcel layer would dramatically reduce the number of hours staff allocate to 

this notification process. 


Property Management 

• 

• 

Improves Management of County Facilities and Fee Lands 

St. Louis County owns an estimated 200 buildings, including the Courthouses 

in Duluth, Virginia, and Hibbing. Property Management is increasingly 

starting slowly to use GIS to manage County facilities, such as square footage, 

year built, HVAC data, parcel size, address, and photos. Furthermore, the 

County has approximately 1,200 parcels of fee land. Property Management 

has created a database with information such as parcel size, address, legal 

description, and miscellaneous notes. GIS will provide an effective and 

beneficial tool to manage these buildings and fee lands. 

Assists in Assessing New or Expansion of Public Facilities 

In many instances, Property Management must research and review many 

variables in a new site or expansion of a site. GIS will enhance the ability 

to review sites quickly and more thoroughly, and provide the department 

with the ability to overlay other GIS layers (gas, water, sewer, cable, 

telecommunication, electric, zoning, elevation, wetlands), with new layers 

based upon distances to day care, medical facilities, amenities, etc. The 

parcel layer will also assist in determining needed property acquisition, 

facility impact and analysis, right-of-way needs, utility costs based upon 

distances, and much more. 

• 

• 

Improves Review and Sale of County Facilities or Fee Lands 

By developing department GIS capacity, staff can quickly identify county 

facilities and fee lands, and geographical representation in relation to lakes, 

rivers, roads, gravel pits, utilities, State forest lands, tax forfeited lands, and 

municipal lands. Staff will be able to access zoning restrictions, covenants, 

and easements. This information will help determine if a parcel must be 

retained by the County, or can be sold. 

Improves Notification of Adjoining Land Owners 

GIS will assist in identifying and notifying adjoining and nearby land owners 

who may want to bid on County fee land, or facilities that are for sale. 


Public Health & Human Services 

Distances Between Virginia Office and Placement Facilities 

ONTARIO 

Kitson 

Marshall 

Roseau 

Lake of 

the Woods 

Legend 

Clay 

Clay 

Viginia Office 

^` 

Number of Children 

! 1 

" 2 

# 3 

X 4 

Polk 

Norman 

Clay 

Wilkin 

Traverse 

Big 

Stone 

Pennington 

Red Lake 

Mahnomen 

Grant 

Stevens 

Lac Qui 

Parle 

Becker 

Wadena 

Beltrami 

Clearwater 

Oter Tai l 

Swif 

Douglas 

Pope 

Chippewa 

Yellow Medicine 

Lincoln 

Pipestone 

Lyon 

Murray 

Renville 

Redwood 

Hubbard 

Todd 

Kandiyohi 

Cotonwo od 

Rock Nobles Jackson 

Total Number of Children = 128 

3 Children in Birdsboro, Pensylvania 

Brown 

Watonwan 

Cass 

Morrison 

Stearns 

Meeker 

#X"! 

Koochiching 

! 

#" 

! 

! " 

" # # 

! 

! X# !X!"! X# 

! ^` " St. Louis County 

! 

Itasca 

" #! 

!# 

X 

Aitkin #! 

" 

!!!"! 

! 

" "#! 

McLeod 

Sibley 

Martn 

Nicollet 

Crow 

Wing 

Benton 

Mille 

! Lacs 

Sherburne 

Wright 

Blue Earth 

" 

Carver 

Le 

Sueur 

Faribault 

! 

Kanabec 

Chisago 

Isant 

Anoka 

Hennepin Ramsey 

Scot 

Rice 

Carlton 

! 

Pine 

Washington 

4 @ 200 

Dakota 

! 

Waseca 

Dodge 

Steele 

Freeborn 

Goodhue 

Mower 

Wabasha 

Olmsted 

Fillmore 

85 @ 50 Lake mi 

Winona 

Lake 

Superior 

35 @ 100 mi 

1 @ 150 

Houston 

Cook 

• 

• 

• 

Improves Medical Prevention & Intervention 

GIS provides the ability to map large amounts of data to track, monitor, and 

improve health conditions by alerting medical facilities early to prevent or 

minimize sickness or disease through intervention. Examples include: early 

detection and analysis of disease and alerting the community; ability to 

track sick cases caused by unsanitary conditions by address; map asthma 

information to target problems and address solutions; tracking of dead 

animals (an indicator of underlying problems), and a host of others. 

Improves Emergency Medical Response 

GIS provides capabilities to further emergency medical response time by 

locating supply and emergency response centers near the population 

concentrations, providing evacuation routes, identify vulnerable adults, 

critical areas, and others. 

Improves Permitting, Tracking, and Monitoring 

Permitting: Assists permitting Human service providers and other 

databases that support operations. 

Tracking: Tracking permits (where they are, when they expire, permit 

requirement compliance). 

Monitoring: Monitoring radon test results, well water tests (areas that 

have naturally occurring high nitrate or flouride levels), commercial 

establishments, and others. 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Monitors Vulnerable Adults 

Monitoring people in isolation (ill people) and quarantine (well but exposed 

people) is critical to on-going operation (checking how they are doing) and 

emergency situations. Public Health must ensure they have food, water, 

communications, etc. 

Improves Long-Range Planning 

Demographics are constantly changing, thus long-range planning for 

public health and human services is an ongoing endeavor. GIS identifies 

and assesses gaps in service, programs, sites, distances, outlining problems 

for grant resources, locating mass clinics, and much more. 

Improves Resource Allocation 

One aspect of GIS is the ability to allocate resources based upon spatial data 

to determine service area assignments, workloads, resource distribution, 

caseloads, etc. 

Improves Public Notification 

Public notification would be enhanced for a variety of projects, programs, 

and alerts. The current system of notification can make it difficult to 

conduct thorough planning and intervention. 


Environmental Services 

• 

• 

Improves Landfill Planning 

Landfill planning would be improved with GIS through enhanced research 

and analysis of regional landfill property. 

Improves New Site Development: Any new site requires extensive review 

of all site characteristics such as: distance to population centers, proximity 

to private property, zoning, proximity to roadways, topographical features 

(wetlands, streams and rivers, and elevation), location for fill placement, 

environmental monitoring concerns, and future expansion options, 

including buffer areas to sensitive areas. 

Enhances Planning Efforts to Expand and/or Modify Sites: Any expanded 

or modified site requires review of all operations and impacts. GIS provides 

this expanded analysis of all environmental and topography features. 

Track Closed Dump Sites: GIS assists in determining proximity to 

waterways, population centers, general information on age of landfill, 

cover type, volumes, and legal boundaries. 

Provides Planning Support: Assists ES in producing administrative 

maps of sites such as: general outline of site, directions, relation to other 

property, and site setup. 

Enhances Illegal Dump Tracking 

There are many complaints regarding illegal dumping sites across the 

county, from small dump sites to extensive (chemical) dump sites. Sites 

have varying impacts on lakes, rivers, wetlands, adjoining property owners, 

• 

• 

and others. The overlay of a parcel layer allows staff to better track details of 

the site, prioritize, and notify adjoining property owners who could realize 

negative impacts on property. 

Improves Permitting, Tracking, and Monitoring 

Permitting: Assists in identifying property boundaries, land issues, 

and property specifications to improve permitting response time for 

commercial businesses, residential property, and public recreation areas. 

Tracking: Tracking SSTS permits (where they are, when they expire, permit 

requirement compliance) and point-of-sale inspections (where they are, 

when they were done, repair/upgrade compliance, inspection results: 

failing systems, definitional failures, non-conforming systems, compliant 

systems), well locations, and food/water for commercial businesses. 

Monitoring: Monitoring radon test results, well water tests (areas that 

have naturally occurring high nitrate or flouride levels), commercial 

establishments, and others. 

Improves Public Notification & Service Fee Updates 

The public notification process would be enhanced for a variety of activities 

such as: illegal dump sites, site impacts, program information, service fee 

updates, and a host of other information. Querying data in various formats, 

distances, and areas with GIS has many advantages over existing formats. 


OTHER 

• 

• 

Plat Book 

GIS and the cadastral (parcel layer) database will allow the county to 

develop the county plat book internally rather than hiring a contractor 

to research and develop the plat book. The county could further modify 

the plat book to suit county needs. Currently, the plat book has limited 

information. With the county producing the plat book, it is possible to 

incorporate cities, additional GIS layers, and data into the new book, 

making it more useful. 

Participate in Statewide Projects 

There are many complaints regarding illegal dumping sites across the 

county, from small dump sites to extensive (chemical) dump sites. Sites 

have varying impacts on lakes, rivers, wetlands, adjoining property owners, 

and others. The overlay of a parcel layer allows staff to better track details of 

the site, prioritize, and notify adjoining property owners who could realize 

negative impacts on property. 

• 

• 

• 

Regional Planning 

St. Louis County provide regional GIS planning support for various regional 

initiatives to support community and economic development, housing, 

public infrastructure projects, and much more. 

Local Planning Support 

St. Louis County provide local communities with GIS support in local 

planning projects through its GIS resources. 

3D Visualization 

St. Louis County is developiong many datasets that will support 3D 

mapping capabilities for use in new developments, line of site location, etc.

County Use of GIS Technology - St. Louis County

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