By Tim Douglass

tdouglass@pctribune.com

The Pope County Board last Tuesday unanimously denied a rezoning request from William O’Leary who sought to rezone property in Blue Mounds Township south of Starbuck from Agricultural Protection (A-2) to a Residential zone.

Commissioner Larry Lindor made the motion to deny the request with Commissioner Paul Gremmels seconding that motion.  In the discussion, Paul Wildman said he was at the Planning and Zoning meeting and let the commission know there was a lot of people who didn’t want the land use in that area to be rezoned.  “There’s no need to change it from A-2 to residential,” he added.

The rezoning would have allowed for residential use of the land and further subdivision of parcel, according to information provided at the meeting.  The Pope County Planning Advisory Commission did consider the application at their regularly scheduled September 26 meeting.  During the meeting, a public hearing was conducted in which participants were provided an opportunity to comment on the re-zoning request.  There was considerable input from local citizens, according to David Green, Land & Resource Management Director.  Most of the comments were not in support of the re-zoning request, he added.   

“Many people spoke in favor of preserving agricultural land for agricultural purposes,” he stated in a memo to the board.    

After reviewing the application, staff report and considering the information from the public hearing, the Planning Advisory Commission did pass a motion to recommend the County Board of Commissioners deny re-zoning request.

In another land-use issue, the county board approved a request for a Conditional Use Permit with conditions for Twilight Bay to conduct shore land alterations on Pelican Lake in Minnewaska Township.  The scope of work will include the placement of up to 43 cubic yards of fill as well as the addition of more rip rap along the top of existing rip rap in an effort to stabilize the slope and reduce erosion. This project required the Conditional Use Permit because the working surface exceeds 25 feet, namely 115 feet, and is located in a steep slope area, according to Green.  The Planning Advisory Commission did consider the application conducted a public hearing seeking input from impacted neighbors.  There was no public input received during the public hearing. After a period of questioning and discussion, the Planning Advisory Commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of the permit with conditions.

In other action, the board of commissioners:

•Approved a request from Josh Sundheim to re-establish and expand excavation activities at  and existing aggregate mine (gravel mine) in Walden Township.  The approval came with a list of 14 conditions as recommended by the Planning Advisory Commission.  All the conditions listed were “standard conditions,” according to Green, who said the mine was consistent with the county’s land use requirements.

• Approved a request from  Amelia-Villard-Leven  (AVL) Lakes Association for a grant from the county’s AIS Prevention Aid funds to cover the cost of software and data services for the CD3 watercraft cleaning station at the public access on Lake Amelia. The AVL Lakes Association requested a grant of $1,200, which is the annual software fee charged by CD3, according to Ralph Hanson, Pope County Land Use Specialist II.  The software would allow for data collection and reporting of the usage of the various tools for watercraft cleaning provided at the CD3 station. All other operation and maintenance costs, estimated to be about $2,775, will be covered by the AVL lakes association, it was stated. Hanson said it is worthwhile to collect the CD3 usage data and said the request was an  appropriate use of our AIS Prevention Aid funds.  Board Chair Paul Gerde said the request was “the same as what has been approved in the past.”  

•Heard Pope County Administrator Kertsen Kappmeyer read a letter from Richard and Rita Benson about the County Road 17 Improvement project.  The contents of the letter can be found in story on County Road 17 that starts on the front page of this issue.

•Approved payment of bills, supplemental bills, per diems and employee reimbursements.