Alexandria Township
Alexandria, Minnesota 56308
Minutes of the meeting of October 1, 2012
A regular meeting/public hearing of the Board of Adjustment of Alexandria Township was held on the 1st day of October, 2012 at the Alexandria Township Conference Room, 610 Fillmore Street.
ROLL CALL: Present were Bryon Alstead, Jul Feuling, Joel Dahlheimer and Russell Niskanen. Also present were Gregg Raisanen, Clerk, and Mona Billmark, Treasurer. Justin Burslie of Community Growth Institute was present, acting as the township zoning authority for the public hearing. As said members formed a quorum and the meeting was called to order by Chairman Alstead at 7:00 p.m.
The public hearing concerns a variance request by Ben Zacher to allow private subsurface sewage treatment systems on two lots of the proposed Geneva Country Estates development.
Chairman Alstead opened the hearing for public comment.
Zoning Administrator Burslie stated that the township engineer has not made a formal recommendation. A letter the town received from ALASD states there are vacant platted lots in the township that are connected to public sanitary sewer. The letter is unclear as to whether the sewer district is formally for or against the variance request.
Ben Zacher, applicant, stated he is proposing to have Lots 3 and 4 be connected to on-site sewer systems since in order to bring public sewer to that area, he would need to create more lots to make it feasible.
Marlo Steinhorst of 1803 E. Lake Geneva Road asked what happens if someone else comes in and chooses to subdivide and develop more lots, potentially creating multiple on-site sewer systems in that area. Supervisor Niskanen explained there is a process for subdivisions which includes a review of the septic system and connectivity to the public sewer system.
Burslie stated that the planning commission is recommending the variance be approved with the six findings of fact and three conditions as outlined in the staff report. Supervisor Niskanen asked if each lot would be single-family dwellings and the applicant responded affirmatively. He asked which road would access the driveways and the applicant responded that all four lots would access County Road 73.
Supervisor Feuling asked what the process would be if a petition were made in the future for public sewer. Clerk Raisanen stated that the township does not normally pay for sewer line installation; typically it is paid by the benefitting property owners. The property owners would need to petition the town board to say that we, the majority of property owners, want to have sewer in this area and they then pay for the cost of installation. Feuling then asked how the town could require sewer installation. Clerk Raisanen stated that normally the cost of installation is borne by the developer of a plat consisting of many half-acre lots. The cost of mainline installation is then shared amongst the owners of those half-acre lots. In this instance, there are only two lots that would bear the brunt of that installation cost thus making the cost prohibitive.
Motion by Feuling, seconded by Niskanen, to approve the variance request with the six findings of fact and three conditions outlined in the staff report allowing Lots 3 and 4 to be serviced by on-site sewer systems. Roll: Niskanen, Feuling, Dahlheimer, Alstead – yes. Opposed: none. Motion carried unanimously.
Being no further business, Feuling, seconded by Dahlheimer, made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Meeting adjourned at 7:16 p.m.
Respectfully submitted….
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Gregg Raisanen, Clerk
Approved this ____ day of ________, 2012
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Bryon Alstead, Chairman