Plan commission declines to recommend change to library parking ratio after procedural re-hearing

The Cottage Grove Plan Commission on March 26 reconsidered a proposed amendment to the zoning ordinance that would change the library parking requirement to one space per 400 square feet but did not recommend the change following the required re-hearing.

Planner Aaron explained the item returned to the commission because a prior public-notice publication requirement was not met: a legal advertisement was not published twice by the Wisconsin State Journal, so state statute and the village's public-notice rules required the hearing to be repeated. Aaron and staff recommended re-approving the 1:400 parking ratio consistent with prior discussion, but the commission opted not to recommend the amendment to the village board.

During discussion one commissioner asked whether the commission could table the matter pending the outcome of a referendum; staff said the commission could table the item or vote, and that if the commission did not make a recommendation it would automatically go to the village board. The commission proceeded to a roll-call vote. The transcript records the roll-call as: Allen — Nay; Brinkmeyer — Nay; Just Shishan — Aye; Murphy — Aye; Sale — Nay; Schultz — Nay; Williams — Aye. The chair summarized the result as 4–3 against recommendation, and the motion failed to recommend the change.

The commission flagged that the village board meeting to consider related matters will occur after the election. The commission did not forward a recommendation to the village board based on the recorded vote.