ALEXANDRIA TOWNSHIP

Alexandria, Minnesota 56308

Minutes of the meeting of August 24, 2026 

A regular meeting/public hearing of the Planning Commission of Alexandria Township was held on the 24th day of August, 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 Haar, made a motion to approve the minutes of the 04/27/2026 meeting as written.  Motion carried unanimously.

Chairman Steidl recessed the meeting to open the public hearing on the interim use request submitted by Chris Just. The property is located at 3009 Berglund Mile NE.

Public Hearing:

The applicant, Chris Just, stated his intention is to store around 200 boats at his farm. He has  about 15-20 boats currently onsite. He said a boat company in town approached him about finding a place to store boats.

Zoning Administrator Oleson reported the interim use request is for seasonal storage. This would involve outdoor storage of boat trailers and boats during the late fall / winter / spring seasons. By ordinance, a business of this nature requires an IUP. Oleson said the applicant is not planning on being open to the public but rather facilitating just one boat company. The applicant has also expressed a desire in flexibility for overflow. In his application, he has dedicated seven acres for this proposed use and does not anticipate expanding it beyond those parameters.

Chairman Steidl opened the hearing to the public for comment. Hearing none, he closed the public hearing and resumed the meeting.

Commissioner Haar questioned the timeframe of operation and asked if October 1st – May 20^th  would work.

Commissioner Steinbrecher mentioned there would be greater flexibility if the timeframe was from September 1^st – May 31st.

Haar, seconded by Steinbrecher, made a motion to recommend approval of the interim use application with the conditions outlined in the staff report, with changes to the following:

• That condition no. 1 be changed to “Outdoor storage of watercraft and trailers is allowed for the next 5 seasons, which will expire May 31, 2032. The IUP for seasonal storage will be valid from September 1st through May 31st of each year.”
• That condition no. 2 be changed to “Storage is strictly limited to the outdoor storage of watercraft and trailers managed by the designated local boating company. The general public is not allowed to drop off, pick up, or access boats on the property.”
• That condition no. 3 be changed to “All outdoor storage of watercraft and trailers must be stored within the designated storage area consisting of 7.16 acres as shown on the approved site plan and cannot expand into other parts of the property.”
• That condition no. 4 be changed to “All outdoor storage of watercraft and trailers must maintain a minimum distance of ten (10) feet from all property lines, including the eastern boundary next to the agricultural field.”
• That condition no. 9 be changed to “All outdoor storage of watercraft and trailers must be free of fuel, oil, or other fluid leaks. If any leak occurs, the applicant must clean up the spill immediately and remove the leaking unit from the property or repair the leak onsite.”
• That condition no. 10 be changed to “Any shrink-wrapping of watercraft and trailers must be completed before they are brought to the property, or if done onsite, all plastic waste must be cleaned up and disposed of on the same day.”
• That condition no. 11 be changed to “The transport of watercraft and trailers to and from the site along Berglund Mile must only occur between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. to minimize noise and traffic impacts on neighbors.”
• That condition no. 12 be changed to “The applicant is responsible for any physical damage to Berglund Mile caused in transporting the watercraft and trailers and must pay for repairs or additional dust control if directed by the Township Board.”
• That condition no. 13 be changed to “No commercial signs advertising the watercraft and trailer storage business are allowed on the property or along Berglund Mile.”
• That condition no. 15 be changed to “Only watercraft and trailers may be stored in this designated area. No other items, such as recreational vehicles, campers, or construction equipment are permitted under this permit.”
• That condition no. 19 be deleted.
• That condition no. 20 be changed to “All semi-trailers on the site shall be road-ready.”

Roll: Steinbrecher, Dokken-McFann, Haar and Steidl – yes. Opposed: none. Motion carried unanimously.

New Business:

Door-to-Door Sales. Commissioner Haar asked if the township has any stipulations regarding door-to-door sales. Oleson made mention of a transient merchant license. Consensus to have Oleson include the topic for discussion with the town board.

Old Business:  none

Zoning Administrator’s Report:  none

Adjournment:  Being no further business Steinbrecher, seconded by Haar, made a motion to adjourn the meeting.  Meeting adjourned at 6:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted…

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Bonnie Fulghum, Deputy Clerk

Approved this ____ day of ___________, 2026

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Larry Steidl, Chairman