Zoning panel approves conditional use for 26 shipping containers in Hayward with upkeep, setback and town-review conditions

The Sawyer County Zoning Committee on Thursday approved a conditional use permit allowing 26 shipping containers to be used for commercial storage on property near Hayward, subject to conditions that include painting and rust-prevention, setback verification, and town follow-up on a requested vegetative buffer.

The permit covers property owned by Renred LLC, listed in the record as Thomas and Stacy Drenner, and was considered under conditional use permit number 25-018 for property zoned Commercial 1.

The committee’s zoning staff described the request as the placement of more than three shipping containers on Commercial 1 land, which under Sawyer County Code of Ordinances Appendix D, section 2 (par. 93) requires prior conditional use approval and town sign-off. The staff report noted the containers had been placed after 2020 and recommended conditions that would require containers to be painted and “show no sign of rust,” limit the total to 26 containers, require a land-use permit within 30 days of approval, and ensure accurate setback information when the land-use permit is submitted.

Applicants Thomas and Stacy Drenner told the committee the containers were placed after the COVID period and “we don't plan on stacking” them and that they “fit it to the property” and had tried to keep the site “clean” and uniform in appearance. The applicants said they were willing to add a few trees on the left side of the property if necessary but said they rely on visibility from the highway as advertising.

Zoning staff and the applicant debated a town-requested “vegetative buffer” the town had listed without specific dimensions. Staff warned that a generic vegetative-buffer condition would be difficult to enforce unless the town clarified the buffer’s required location, species or width. One committee member suggested a more specific condition requiring that any existing vegetation remain in place; staff suggested verifying whether the applicant would accept that condition before making it part of the permit.

The committee discussed making the permit run with the property, not just the current owners; requiring any future changes to the operation to trigger a new conditional use permit; ensuring containers meet a 20-foot rear setback and 5-foot side setbacks; and applying county sign and lighting rules. The staff report also incorporated the Town of Hayward’s conditional-approval motion and noted the City of Hayward had no additional conditions.

After discussion the committee approved the permit with the conditions stated in the staff report, requiring (among other items) that containers be painted and show no signs of rust in perpetuity while they remain in place, that land-use permits be submitted with accurate setback measurements, that no more than 26 containers remain without further town approval, that lighting be down-facing/shielded, and that the permit runs with the property. Roll-call votes recorded in the meeting record were recorded as yes from Ron Buchholz, Kaye (Kaye) Wilson, Marshall Savitsky, Steve Kariannan and Dale Magnuson; the motion carried.

The county clerk said the land-use permit fees for the commercial containers will follow the county’s commercial building rate schedule and that the town had requested a $15 building-permit fee per unit to be collected when the land-use permit is issued. The zoning administrator told the committee the applicant must provide the value of each container for fee calculation.

County staff indicated that if the town returns a clarified vegetative-buffer specification the committee could revisit or require additional follow-up; the committee did not include an undefined vegetative-buffer requirement in the final decision.

The committee’s action included findings of fact and standard conditional-use permit conditions and requires the applicant to obtain the county land-use permit and comply with all applicable town, county, state and federal laws.

The staff report and the Town of Hayward motion are part of the public record for CUP 25-018, and no written objections from adjacent property owners were recorded in the county file for this item.