Zoning panel approves in‑home salon in Bass Lake with one-operator limit and parking conditions

The Sawyer County Zoning Committee approved Conditional Use Permit 25-049 allowing an in-home salon at a residence in the Town of Bass Lake, contingent on conditions added during committee discussion.

Applicant Terry Walsh (operator) told the committee she has licensed cosmetology credentials and would operate by appointment Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; the Department of Safety and Professional Services license number was verified in the staff report. Staff recommended several conditions (hours by appointment, required DSPS/Department of Revenue registration and business insurance, sanitary permit for change of use if required). Additional testimony from nearby residents raised concerns about parking on a private easement (Lightning Lane), snow removal and safety on a narrow single-lane private drive.

Committee additions and rationale: After hearing neighbors and legal counsel, the committee added two specific conditions: (1) the salon must be limited to a single operator (described in the record as "one-chair" / one stylist/operator), and (2) parking must comply with applicable laws and the applicant must ensure customers do not park on the private easement. Legal counsel recommended the county avoid enforcing a private-easement agreement directly and instead added the "parking shall comply with applicable laws" language so existing laws, not the county as private-easement enforcer, determine enforceability.

Motion and vote: Dale Magnuson moved to approve the CUP with staff conditions plus the additional limits; Tweed Schumann seconded. A roll-call vote recorded five "yes" votes, one absence; the CUP was approved.

Follow-up: Staff will require documentation before business operations begin (DSPS license verification, Department of Revenue registration, proof of insurance and a sanitary-county permit if change-of-use requires it). The CUP will run with the current property owner and is non-transferable.

Ending: The committee noted that continued parking issues could lead to revocation of the CUP if the condition is violated.