ALEXANDRIA TOWNSHIP
Alexandria, Minnesota 56308
Minutes of the meeting of October 26, 2026
A regular meeting/public hearing of the Planning Commission of Alexandria Township was held on the 26th day of October, 2026 at The Hub on Broadway Conference Room, 203 Broadway and via teleconference.
Roll Call: Commission members present were Shad Steinbrecher, Larry Steidl, Linda Dokken-McFann, and Julie Haar. Also present were Bonnie Fulghum, Deputy Clerk, and Ben Oleson, Township Zoning Administrator. As said members formed a quorum and the meeting was called to order by Chairman Steidl at 5:00 p.m.
Agenda: Steinbrecher, seconded by Dokken-McFann, made a motion to approve the agenda as written. Motion carried unanimously.
Minutes: Steinbrecher, seconded by Dokken-McFann, made a motion to approve the minutes of the 09/28/2026 meeting as written. Motion carried unanimously.
Chairman Steidl recessed the meeting to open the public hearing on the conditional use request submitted by Jeremy and Bethany Olson. The property is located at 3430 Hazel Hill Road SE.
Public Hearing: The applicants stated they wish to renew their interim use permit.
Zoning Administrator Oleson reported the original interim use permit was approved for ten years in 2016 as a home occupation. He noted that the cabinet shop business had been in operation 8 – 10 years prior to that time. The applicants are now asking for a permit duration of 20 years.
Oleson said the original IUP allowed non-immediate family employees of up to 2 full-time, but not more than 4 persons. The applicants currently have 4 full-time employees, with one employee working remotely. Generally, 3 of the 4 employees are offsite at any given time. They also employ 4 people part-time. They would like to add one more full-time employee onsite.
Chairman Steidl opened the hearing to the public for comment. Hearing none, he closed the public hearing and resumed the meeting.
Chairman Steidl inquired if the applicant has any plans for expansion. Mr. Olson replied they have no intension of expanding onsite.
Commissioner Haar asked the following question: if there were a change in ownership, would the shop move off the premises, leaving just the existing home? In this scenario, she clarified with Oleson that whomever purchases the business, if relocating within the township, would need to apply for a new IUP.
Commissioner Dokken-McFann inquired if there have been complaints regarding the business.
Commissioner Steinbrecher asked if the owners sell or move off the property, would the permit terminate?
Motion by Haar, seconded by Dokken-McFann, to recommend approval of the Olson interim use application with conditions 1-14 as outlined in the staff report, changing condition no. 2 to read: “The business shall employ no more than ten (10) employees;” and changing condition no. 14 to read: “The approved interim use permit shall expire twenty (20) years from the date of approval or upon the transfer of ownership of the property and/or business, Hazel Hill Cabinetry LLC, to anyone other than Jeremy and Bethany Olson. Roll: Steinbrecher – yes, Haar – yes, Dokken-McFann – yes. Steidl – yes. Opposed: none. Motion carried unanimously.
New Business: none
Old Business: none
Zoning Administrator’s Report: Oleson provided a verbal update on township permit activities.
Adjournment: Being no further business Haar, seconded by Steinbrecher, made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Meeting adjourned at 5:55 p.m.
Respectfully submitted…
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Bonnie Fulghum, Deputy Clerk
Approved this ____ day of ___________, 2026
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Larry Steidl, Chairman