Marshfield planning commission approves three-bay garage for Northridge Church property

The City of Marshfield Plan Commission on April 15 approved a conditional use permit allowing Northridge Church to build a 36-by-18-foot, three-bay storage garage at 311 East Heritage Drive before a principal structure is built. The commission voted yes on the permit after staff said the building is needed to store grounds equipment; the motion was made by planning commission member Michael Bradley and seconded by Rita and carried in a roll call vote.

Staff provided the request and recommendation. Steve Barr, city administrator, told the commission the church has used the property for outdoor events and wants a roughly 650-square-foot garage to store mowers and maintenance equipment. Barr said the proposed building would be vinyl-sided with a shingle roof, would sit toward the rear of the lot and, because of the site’s size and surrounding uses, would not create an undue adverse effect on neighboring properties. "Staff recommends approval of the conditional use permit request by Preston Tippen on behalf of Northridge for an exception to Section 18-65-9(b)," Barr said.

The permit is an exception to Section 18-65-9(b) of the city zoning code, which generally bars accessory structures prior to construction of a principal building unless the accessory abuts a lot that already contains the principal structure. The commission’s approval applied four conditions: minor site-plan changes may be approved administratively if they do not create noncompliance; the garage may not be used for commercial purposes and is limited to storage for property maintenance; the permit runs only with the current property owner and becomes void if the property is sold without a principal building; and removal of the garage is the current owner’s responsibility prior to sale unless a new conditional use permit is obtained by the buyer with the owner’s approval.

A member of the public, Dave Pankritz of 206 E. 17th Street, asked whether the permit establishes a timeline for the principal structure. "The only question I had is there a timeline where the principal structure has to be built, or is there no timeline for what the current..." Pankritz asked. Barr replied that the staff recommendation does not require a timeline and said he did not believe the church had plans to build a principal structure in the near term.

The commission’s roll call recorded affirmative votes from the mayor and all commissioners present; the motion carried. The permit allows Northridge Church to construct the garage now but places removal and resale conditions intended to avoid a permanent accessory use without a principal building on the lot.

The item was the meeting’s main substantive agenda matter; staff later provided a brief update on ongoing redevelopment talks for the Weinbrenner property at 305 W. Third Street.