ERC recommends five rezonings, two town zoning changes and adopts updated parks forfeiture schedule

The Marathon County Environmental Resource Committee voted April 29 to forward five rezone petitions to the County Board of Supervisors for final action, recommended two town zoning map amendments for county consideration and adopted an updated schedule of cash deposits and forfeitures for the county parks and forestry code.

Committee members said staff findings and town recommendations supported each rezone and moved to forward the requests to the County Board. No public testimony was offered at the ERC hearings on any of the five petitions.

The petitions approved by the ERC (motions carried by voice vote at the meeting) were: - William Hart (petition by Tim Vreeland): rezone from General Agriculture (GA) to Rural Estate (RE) in the Town of Alderon. CPZ staff found the request met zoning district size, frontage and access standards and that the Town of Alderon had recommended approval. The committee motion to recommend approval was made by Supervisor Drebeck and seconded; the motion carried. - Warren Buss (petition by Tim Vreeland): rezone from General Agriculture to Urban Residential (UR) in the Town of Holton. Staff reported the proposed Lot 1 on the preliminary CSM met applicable district standards and the Town of Holton recommended approval; the committee approved and forwarded the petition. - Daniel Anderson (petition by James Erickson, PLS): a multipart rezone in the Town of Spencer to create lots for General Agriculture, Low Density Residential (LDR) and Light Industrial (LI) uses as described on the preliminary CSM; the Town of Spencer recommended approval and the committee forwarded the request. - Sunrise Services LLC (petition by Jay Linebach): rezone from Farmland Preservation (FP) to Commercial (C) in the Town of Brighton (Lot 1 on preliminary CSM); staff and the town recommended approval and the committee forwarded the petition. - David and Christine Gruna (petition by Chris Fieri): rezone from General Agriculture to Rural Residential (RR) near Lakefront Drive in the Town of Alderon; staff found the request met statutory and local rezone standards and the town recommended approval; the committee forwarded the petition.

In other formal actions, the ERC recommended that the County Board consider two town-initiated zoning map amendments from the Town of Wausau: A-1/80 Agricultural to Commercial/Light Manufacturing and Commercial/Light Manufacturing to A-1/20 Residential. Staff said the town supplied required documentation and the committee voted to forward both items to the County Board for its consideration.

The committee also approved updates to the forfeiture and cash-deposit schedule for Parks, Recreation and Forestry ordinance sections (Chapter 19). Parks staff told the committee the schedule aligns deposit amounts to comparable ordinance violations and that the Park Commission had recommended the changes; the ERC approved the schedule by motion and voice vote.

All ERC votes recorded on these items were voice votes with “aye”/“opposed” calls; the committee’s approvals are recommendations to the Marathon County Board of Supervisors, which will take the final actions and set any ordinance updates into force.

Votes at a glance - 5A1: William Hart rezone (GA → RE), Town of Alderon — ERC: recommend approval (motion made by Supervisor Drebeck; second recorded); public testimony: none at ERC hearing. - 5A2: Warren Buss rezone (GA → UR), Town of Holton — ERC: recommend approval (motion made by Supervisor Seefeldt; second recorded); public testimony: one landowner offered no comment. - 5A3: Daniel Anderson rezone (GA & LI → LI, GA & LDR), Town of Spencer — ERC: recommend approval (motion made by Supervisor Drayvett; second recorded). - 5A4: Sunrise Services LLC (Jay Linebach) rezone (FP → C), Town of Brighton — ERC: recommend approval (motion made by Supervisor Seefeldt; second recorded). - 5A5: David and Christine Gruna (petition by Chris Fieri) rezone (GA → RR), Town of Alderon — ERC: recommend approval (motion made by Supervisor Cifelt; second recorded). - 5B1 & 5B2: Town of Wausau map amendments — ERC: recommend approval and forward to County Board (motions made and carried by voice vote). - 5C2: Amendments to county code forfeiture and cash deposit schedule (Parks, Recreation & Forestry) — ERC: approved schedule; motion carried by voice vote.

The committee’s recommendations are advisory; each rezone and ordinance change will be placed on the County Board agenda for final action. Staff reminded interested parties to contact CPZ for information about the County Board process and timelines.

Ending The ERC closed its April 29 hearing calendar after voting on the petitions and ordinance schedule; the County Board will receive the committee’s recommendations at a future meeting for final consideration.