Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Variance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Dodge County board grants variance for commercial addition in Knowles
Summary
The Dodge County Board of Adjustment on March 20 granted Trish and John Fry a variance to build a 40-by-16-foot commercial addition that would sit 1.5 feet from the west property line, conditioned on a post-construction survey and issuance of a land-use permit.
The Dodge County Board of Adjustment on March 20, 2025, approved a variance requested by Trish and John Fry to add a 40-foot by 16-foot commercial addition to an existing principal structure in the Village of Knowles.
The decision came after staff from the Dodge County Land Resources and Parks Department recommended approval and after supporters from the Town of Meyer and nearby residents spoke in favor. The board voted 5-0 to grant the variance, conditioning approval on a post-construction survey and directing staff to issue a land-use permit incorporating the board’s decision.
The addition, as revised by the applicant, would sit 1.5 feet from the west property line — described in the staff report as 6.5 feet within the required setback — in a C-1 General Commercial zoning district. County staff told the board the lot is 0.4 acres, contains an existing tavern and accessory structures, and that a sanitary evaluation is required because the site uses a holding tank.
Appellant John Fry said the expansion is needed to provide "extra room for cooler space for prep area" and to receive deliveries. Supporters included Jeff Faber, identified as Town of Meyer chairman, who told the board the business has grown and the town wants to encourage that growth.
During deliberations the board considered the county’s variance approval criteria (cited in the staff report as subsection 2.3.12 A–G of the Dodge County Land Use Code and relevant setback provisions). The board found that physical constraints on the lot limited placement of the addition, that denying the variance would create economic hardship for the business, and that the project posed no evident harm to the public interest based on testimony and written correspondence received.
The board’s action requires the Fryes to submit a post-construction plat of survey to confirm the structure’s location; the land-use administrator was directed to issue the land-use permit reflecting that condition.
The decision is final subject to any petition to the circuit court described in the hearing procedures; the staff reading of the procedures noted petitions must be filed within 30 days after the decision is filed with the Board of Adjustment.
