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Board of Adjustment grants septic-variance to allow two Type 3 systems on new La Crescent Township lot
Summary
Houston County Board of Adjustment granted a variance allowing creation of a new 16-acre lot in La Crescent Township showing two Type 3 septic-system sites instead of the two Type 1 sites required by code, contingent on design, alternate-site documentation and permitting conditions.
The Houston County Board of Adjustment voted unanimously to grant a variance that allows the creation of a new lot in La Crescent Township showing two Type 3 septic-system locations instead of the two Type 1 sites required by county code.
The decision came after staff reported that soil conditions at the parcel — Section 8, Township 101, Range 4, Parcel 8091006 — produced redox stains and did not meet the 12 inches of good soil normally required for a Type 1 system, but a percolation (perk) test showed infiltration rates that a contractor said could accommodate a septic system designed as Type 3. Amelia (Environmental Services/Zoning staff) presented the file and supporting perk-test documentation to the board.
A county analysis cited the comprehensive land use plan and the septic code and concluded the proposal could meet the county's requirements if the applicant demonstrated appropriate system siting, a replacement site and construction details. The board considered six required findings for a variance and approved each; the formal motion to grant the variance passed on a roll-call vote: Dean Hoppell, Wayne Runaghan, Franklin Hahn, Ken Anderson and Ken Visker all voted yes.
Board members and staff emphasized conditions the applicant must satisfy before building can proceed. Amelia said the applicant must provide detailed soils borings and a design that shows both the primary Type 3 system and the replacement site at scale. She also confirmed that if the final design cannot demonstrate an adequate system and alternate site, no building permit will be issued. The staff report and contractor documents included a recommended loading rate based on the perk-test results and a note that the alternate-site requirement remains in force.
The application was filed by Olivia Lamke and A and K Development LLC; the variance covers a proposed roughly 16-acre parcel the applicant plans to rezone to residential. Staff advised the board that the existing household on the parcel will remain and that some portions of the property are floodplain or wetland and therefore not buildable, so the proposed plateau is the primary buildable area. The applicant has submitted a perk-test and a contractor's statement; Amelia confirmed other required paperwork listed in the staff report had not yet been received but that the contractor's documentation was on file.
County staff also noted the standard protections for Type 3 systems: larger tanks, time-dosing and other design features intended to protect the system under less-than-ideal soil conditions. The board recorded that economic factors alone do not justify a variance; its approval rested on staff's technical findings about soils and the contractor's test results.
With the variance approved, the applicant must complete required design work, submit the remaining paperwork to the Environmental Services Department and obtain any necessary permits before construction or occupancy. The public hearing and notice language in the file indicates related hearing dates and comment deadlines had been advertised; staff will continue permit-level review to verify system placement and replacement-site suitability.
No public commenters spoke against the septic request at the hearing. The board closed the item after reading the motion and recording the unanimous vote.
