A regular meeting of the Planning Commission of Alexandria Township was held on the 22nd day of September, 2014 at the Alexandria Township Conference Room, 610 Fillmore Street.
Roll Call: Commission members present were Shad Steinbrecher, Mary Hacker, Larry Steidl, and Linda Dokken-McFann. 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 6:00 p.m.
Agenda: Dokken-McFann, seconded by Hacker, made a motion to approve the agenda as written. Motion carried unanimously.
Minutes: Dokken-McFann, seconded by Steidl, made a motion to acknowledge the minutes of the 02/14/2014 site visit as written. (This was viewed as an acknowledgement rather than an approval due to no quorum being present at the site visit.) Motion carried unanimously.
Steinbrecher, seconded by Dokken-McFann, made a motion to approve the minutes of the 08/25/2014 regular meeting as written. Motion carried unanimously.
Commissioner Dropik joined the meeting.
Zoning Administrator’s Report: Oleson reported we had received an application for a garage with temporary living quarters. It would be permitted as a dwelling with a garage. He noted there could be a problem in the future if an application for a dwelling is received since our ordinance does not allow for two dwellings on the same parcel. The commission discussed the steps necessary for ensuring removal of the temporary living quarters (converting the space back to a garage) once an actual separate dwelling is built.
Oleson asked the commission if a conditional use permit should be required for moving a used building. He noted that the majority of applicants have a short timeframe in which to complete the move and the 3 – 4 weeks needed for noticing a CUP may not be feasible. Consensus is to form a zoning subcommittee comprised of one planning commission member and one town board member along with the zoning administrator. Their purpose would be to review applications on a case by case basis to determine if a CUP would be warranted. Oleson to bring forward to the town board.
Public Hearing: none
New Business: none
Old Business: The commission reviewed Section IV. Issues and Trends of the comprehensive plan. Recommended changes to this section are as follows:
- To update all statistical data.
- To include an official map delineating potential future roadways.
- To include areas of concern under Parks and Recreation, such as the channel between Lake Jessie and Lake Victoria on County Highway 81.
- To note on page 16 that the county jail and the high school have been relocated.
Section V. Goals and Policies will be reviewed at the next meeting.
Adjournment: Being no further business Dokken-McFann, seconded by Steinbrecher, made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Meeting adjourned at 7:59 p.m.
Respectfully submitted…
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Bonnie Fulghum, Deputy Clerk
Approved this ____ day of ___________, 2014
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Larry Steidl, Chairman