Plan Commission Minutes

Town of Washburn

Outdoors at Town Hall

Tuesday, September 6, 2022

 

Members present: Kim Bro (chair), Cyndi Belanger (secretary), Tim Schwenzfeier (vice chair), Hallie Sandberg.

Members absent:. Jim Park (town board representative).

Town Road Supervisor: Mike Harvey.

Others present: Tim Heil.

 

1. Chairman Bro called the meeting of the commission to order at 7:15 P.M. and verified its legal notification (posted at town hall and Tetzner Dairy) on September 4, 2022 and on town website.
2. At 6:15 P.M. the commission conducted a site visit of the 5.5‑acre parcel of Jake and Lynne Waatti who wish to install a residence and construct a residence in an Agriculture 1 zoning district ((~W½ SW¼NW¼ Section 12 T.48N R.5W; Tax ID#:38844; 74550 Bjork Rd). The owners propose to place a driveway across a deep road ditch and under the Xcel Energy transmission line to a wooded area. The owners marked the proposed location of their driveway, house, and septic mound system. The proposed building site is on relatively level transitional soils (sand-over-clay) with several large, exposed boulders. Make Harvey recommended that, because of the depth of the road ditch, a large quantity of fill will be needed, and he recommends a 40‑foot long culvert in order to maintain adequate side slopes on the driveway fill. A 16‑inch culvert would be adequate because only a relatively small area drains to the proposed driveway. Several additional trees will need to be removed in order to meet the width requirements of the town driveway ordinance. Because of the relatively level conditions of the building site, there is little potential for erosion, and the site is set back from the road in a wooded area so that the scenic character of the property is maintained.

   At 6:50 P.M. the commission conducted a site visit with Tim Heil of his and Rose Speiler-Sandberg’s 30‑acre parcel where the owners wish to provide a simple driveway access point to their property on McKinley Road (SE¼SE¼ minus N½ N½ Section 35 T.49N R.5W; Tax ID #37919; ~75615 McKinley Rd). The road ditch is relatively deep at the point where the owners wish to provide access to a former hayfield. Make Harvey recommended that, because of the depth of the road ditch, a large quantity of fill will be needed, and he recommends a 40‑foot long culvert in order to maintain adequate side slopes on the driveway fill.  A 16‑inch culvert would be adequate because only a relatively small area drains to the proposed driveway. There minimal potential for erosion problems and the proposed location provides adequate visibility for the road curve to the west and a hill to the east.

3. The minutes of the August 7, 2022 meeting were approved (Cyndi moves, Hallie seconds).
4. The commission recommended (Tim moves, Cyndi seconds) that the town board approve the driveway permit and recommend approval of the county Class A Special Use Permit for Jake and Lynne Waatti to construct a driveway and build a residence in an Agriculture‑1 zoning district. The commission recommends that the owners first meet with Mike Harvey to identify which additional trees need to be removed in order to meet the width requirements for a driveway (Drive. Ord. S.4). The site maintains the rural character of the area (Policy #8.1.e), and there is little potential for erosion of the transitional soils.  (pp.8‑30). The commission recommends a 40‑foot long and 16‑inch diameter culvert in the road ditch because of depth of the ditch and the limited area drained to the ditch at this location.

 

5. The commission recommended (Cyndi moves, Hallie seconds) that the town board approve the driveway permit for simple access off of McKinley Road for Rose Speiler-Sandberg and Tim Heil. The location will meet the visibility requirements for access to the town road (Drive. Ord. S.4). The commission recommends a 40‑foot long and 16‑inch diameter culvert in the road ditch because of depth of the ditch and the limited area drained to the ditch at this location.

 

6. The commission recommends (Tim moves, Cyndi seconds) that the town board recommend approval of the county Class A Special Use Permit for Lynn and Danial Catlin to place a recreational vehicle on their 5 acre parcel at 76395 Church Corner Rd (S½NE¼ NE¼ SE¼ Section 33 T49N R5W; Tax ID#31165). The town board previously approved the driveway at this site.

 

7. The commission recommends (Hallie moves, Cyndi seconds) that, after the owners submit their county application, the town board recommend approval of the county Class A Special Use Permit for Ryan and Andrea Collins to replace their residence that burned down at 20 acre parcel at 30490 County Hwy C (E½SE¼SW¼ Section 25 T.49N R.5W; Tax ID#30983) in a Forestry‑1 zoning district. The conditions are the same as those when the commission reviewed the permit application and August 2020.
8. The commission discussed scheduling a site visit of the old landfill on Sunday afternoon October 16 and other site visits and a meeting on Tuesday evening October 4, 2022 with a meeting at 7:00 P.M.at the town hall.
9. The meeting adjourned at 7:41 P.M. (Tim moves, Hallie seconds).

 

Draft submitted by: Kenneth Bro, Chair, Town of Washburn Plan Commission (September 13, 2022).

 

Plan Commission Report

 

The commission recommends that the Town Board approve a driveway permit and recommend county approval of the Class A Special Use Permit for Jake and Lynne Waatti to construct a residence in an Agriculture‑1 zoning district. Before constructing the driveway, the owners should remove additional trees to meet the driveway requirements for six- feet of clear area on either side of the driveway base. The commission recommends a 40‑foot long and 16‑inch diameter culvert in the road ditch.

The commission recommends that the Town Board approve the driveway permit for Rose Speiler-Sandberg and Time Heil to provide access to their property.. The commission recommends a 40‑foot long and 16‑inch diameter culvert in the road ditch.

The commission recommends that the Town Board recommend county approval of the Class A Special Use Permit for Lynn and Danial Catlin to place a recreational vehicle on their property.

The commission recommends that, after Ryan and Andrea Collins submit the county the Class A Special Use Permit for replacing a residence in a Forestry‑1 zoning district, that the Town Board recommend county approval to replace their residence that burned down.