Dunn County committee approves rezoning of Hellman parcel in Town of Wilson

Dunn County Planning Resource and Development Committee voted April 16 to approve a request by Matthew and Taylor Hellman to rezone a 23.09-acre parcel in the Town of Wilson from Primary Agriculture to General Agriculture to allow a single-family home while maintaining cropland and natural areas.

The change, proposed during a public hearing, moves the parcel from the county's primary agricultural zoning designation to general agriculture. Tammy, a county planning staff member, told the committee the parcel was acquired by the Hellmans in July 2024 and that a survey map was completed in May 2024. She said soils on the site are largely nonprime and that the parcel is part of a larger base farm tract; Wisconsin Department of Transportation approved a shared access for the existing driveway. Tammy said staff "recommend that the rezone to General AG is supported, meets the criteria and goals of the plan, and is appropriate for limited development with minimum impact."

No members of the public spoke at the hearing. After concluding the hearing the committee moved to the decision item; a committee member identified in the record as Mrs. Suarez moved approval and another committee member seconded. The chair called for the question, members vocalized their support, and the chair announced the rezone request was approved.

The staff report included farmland-preservation context: county and municipal plans designate the area as farmland and the parcel is within a base farm tract. Staff noted no conflicts with neighboring uses and that the town board had approved the rezoning at its meeting the night before. The committee did not record a roll-call vote in the meeting record provided; the transcript records a voice vote and the chair's announcement that the request was approved.

The decision now moves from the committee to the county board for any subsequent steps required by county procedures and ordinance.