TOWN OF CONCORD PLAN COMMISSION MINUTES
September 28, 2022
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. with Plan Commission members Jim Gilbert, Sally Williams, Lloyd Zastrow, and Kim Miller present. Carole Hoffmeister was absent.
The meeting was opened with the Pledge of Allegiance.
Sally Williams stated that the meeting had been properly posted.
Jim Gilbert made a motion to approve the minutes from the August 24, 2022 meeting, second by Kim Miller. All approved. Motion passed.
Item 1: Donald and Nancy Brunson requested review and approval of a preliminary CSM to create a 1-acre A-3 lot from a 14-acre A-1 parcel near 1432 County Road B (parcel # 006-0716-1642-002). This is a prime lot split and no further splits would be allowed from this parcel. Jim Gilbert made a motion to recommend approval of the lot split as presented, second by Kim Miller. All approved, motion passed. This is consistent with the Town of Concord Comprehensive Plan Ch. 5. B. 1. & 2. Which states that the town will follow county policy for prime lot splits.
Item 2: Jeffery Riederer requested review and approval of a preliminary CSM to rezone .8 acres from A-1 to A-2 or A-3 to be added to an adjacent A-3 lot for a septic system and/ or a potential ag business. The site is on Concord Center Dr. on parcel #006-0716-1334-005. Mr. Riederer purchased this property last fall for a home site but the soil test submitted to the county was off the property. No site on the property will perk for a septic. Mr. Riederer would like the .8 acres rezoned to A-2 because the county has indicated they would prefer this as they do not want to create a 2.2-acre prime A-3 lot, and Mr. Riederer has a bee keeping business which he would like to operate at the property.
Rezoning to A-2 would be contrary to the Town of Concord Comprehensive Plan Ch. 8.B.9. which states that the town will limit establishment of new businesses to the hamlet area with the exception being home occupations. Rezoning to A-2 also creates the future potential for approval of other business at the site which the town would not want. It also sets a precedent for rezoning to A-2 outside of the hamlet area. The bee keeping business could be run on the A-3 property with a conditional use permit for a home occupation. There is no reason to rezone to A-2 for the primary purpose of a septic system. Kim Miller pointed out that Wis. Stat. 91.48 states that rezoning out of A-1 must be consistent with any available comprehensive plan.
After extensive discussion, Kim Miller made a motion to recommend approval of rezoning the .8 acres to A-3 to be added to the existing A-3 parcel. Second by Sally Williams. All approved. Motion passed.
Item 3: Review of Comprehensive Plan update
- Sally Williams reviewed the substantive changes to the plan. The plan will include criteria for business development in the hamlet to allow more community-oriented business compatible with neighboring residential development rather than industrial type business. The criteria are still being refined.
The amendment process in the plan has been changed. Rezoning requests inconsistent with the plan must first go to the town board. The town board would make the decision as to whether or not to entertain an amendment to the plan for the proposal in question. If the town board votes against pursuing the amendment process, then the proposal is effectively denied. If the town board approves entertaining an amendment for the proposal, then the amendment process is initiated.
Dates: Oct. 5 – MSA will have the Public Hearing Draft ready
Oct. 26 – the Plan Commission will consider the Plan and recommend it to the
town board
Nov. 14 or later that week - Public hearing. If this is scheduled as a special
town board meeting, the town board could pass the ordinance adopting the
plan at that meeting. Otherwise, they would adopt the plan at the December
town board meeting.
b. Review survey results: Larry stated that there were 236 responses from 794 surveys sent out. 195 (82.6%) in favor of no A-2 zoning outside the hamlet. 39 (16.5%) in favor of A-2 outside the hamlet. Two responses were uncommitted. A large percent reflected significant concerns about potential impact of businesses.
7. Old business
8. New business
Dale indicated that the Plan Commission members need to be reappointed. As there are 5 members, they would be appointed for differing terms of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 years. Once the term is up, the next term would be a 5-year term. This would result in staggered terms with only 1 member being replaced each year. This will be on the agenda for the next town board meeting.
Sally suggested that the Plan Commission meet with the Town Board to discuss how the 2
entities should work together particularly for the plan amendment process and proposals that are inconsistent with town plan.
Sally said that currently meeting notices are being sent to property owners within ½ mile radius of petitions on the agenda. This seems farther than necessary. For this meeting, 40 notices were sent out. The county sends notices to property owners within 500ft. for rezoning petitions and ¼ mile for CUPs. The decision was made to send notices to a ¼ mile radius in the future.
There was discussion as to whether or not the town would like to require that it sign the final CSMs when land is rezoned. An ordinance to that effect would need to be passed if the town wants to require this. Currently only 4 towns in the county require their signature on the final CSM.
9. Adjournment
With no further business, Jim made a motion to adjourn at 8:54 pm, second by Kim. Meeting adjourned.
Respectfully submitted, Sally Williams, secretary