Plan Commission Minutes

Town of Washburn

Andrus Road

Monday, July 10, 2023

Members present: Kim Bro (chair), Jim Park (town board representative), Hallie Sandberg, Tim Schwenzfeier (vice chair).

Members absent: Cyndi Belanger (secretary).

Others present: None.

1. Chairman Bro called the meeting of the commission to order at 7:16 P.M. and verified its legal notification (posted at town hall and Tetzner Dairy) on July 7, 2023 and on town website.

2. The minutes of the May 2, 2023 meeting were approved (Tim moves, Hallie seconds).

3. The commission reviewed the driveway permit application and preliminary development plan for Lori and Michael Vavrus on their 30-acre parcel in an Agriculture 1 zoning district (SE¼NW¼ Section 16 T.48N R.5W; Tax ID#: 30799; across from 73640 Andrus Rd). The property currently is a hayfield on clayey soils that slope south and southeasterly toward the headwaters of Boyd Creek. The application proposes eight inches of 1¼-inch gravel over geomat. A 30-foot x 16-inch diameter culvert is proposed for the road ditch and another 16-inch diameter culvert is proposed at a drainage way approximately 400 feet west of the Andrus Road. The application proposes a tee turnaround adjacent to a proposed garage approximately 650 feet west of the town road and 100 feet south of the north property line. A house is planned for a low ridge immediately west of the garage. The owners plan to have gardens and possibly grape arbors and hazel nuts on the parcel and to maintain at least 20 acres as hayfield. The commission recommends that the tee turnaround be at least 50 feet east of the garage so that there is a sufficient distance for an emergency vehicle to turn around. Also, because of the area and slope draining uphill from the road ditch, the commission recommends that the culvert in the road ditch be 24 inches in diameter. With these conditions, the commission recommends that the town board approve the application (Tim moves, Jim seconds).
4. Kim mentioned that the town board approved having Tom and Tommy Cogger conduct surface soil sampling at the closed landfill on S. Maple Hill Road in order to mark the perimeter of the clay cap. They plan to do this on July 11 using Tommy’s excavator that has a small bucket. The state-approved closure plan for the landfill calls for annual maintenance measures to assure that the clay cap remains intact. There currently are several areas where the cap has subsided and will need additional compacted clay to prevent standing water over the municipal solid waste below the cap. The commission recommended that the town place fence posts at the corners of the cap so that there will be a long-term marking of area that requires perpetual maintenance.

   Kim noted that, according to the Landfill Maintenance Agreement, the Town of Washburn is responsible for assuring that the landfill cap is mowed twice annually between July and September and for controlling invasive weeds with herbicide if necessary. The maintenance costs are to be reimbursed by the City of Washburn that annually will bill the responsible municipalities (77% City + 12% Town of Bayview + 11% Town of Washburn). Kim said that the town chair asked that the commission propose a process for arranging mowing. The commission recommended that the road supervisor arrange the service in the same way as arranging for a tire change or repairing a disabled vehicle. It does not need to be a complex bidding process as is required for much larger expenses.

5. The commission selected Tuesday, August 1, 2023 7:00 P.M. for the next meeting at the town hall. If there is business to be conducted.

6. The meeting adjourned at 7:38 P.M. (Halllie moves, Tim seconds).

Draft submitted by: Kenneth Bro, Chair, Town of Washburn Plan Commission (July 11, 2023).

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Plan Commission Report

The commission recommends that the town board approve the driveway permit for Lori and Michael Vavrus with the modifications that a 24” diameter culvert be placed in the road ditch and the tee turnaround be at least 50 feet east of the garage to accommodate emergency vehicles.