Sawyer County zoning panel approves storage and accessory building permits, tables Way Pro golf-course amendment and forwards camping-cabin rule change to board

The Sawyer County Zoning Committee on Tuesday approved four conditional-use permits for accessory and storage structures, tabled an amendment request from Way Pro LLC to expand private golf-course access for short-term rentals, and voted to forward a revised camping-cabin ordinance (Option F) to the County Board with clarified language on park-model trailers.

The actions affect property owners and campgrounds across multiple towns in Sawyer County and include conditions limiting habitable use of accessory structures, a requirement that a used-car lot secure town approval before the permit becomes effective, and an instruction to staff to return the Way Pro amendment after town review.

The committee’s staff presented five conditional-use applications and a proposed ordinance change. Committee members voted on each item in separate roll-call votes; several applications drew public comment from nearby property owners.

Votes at a glance

- CUP 25-038 (Town of Lenroot) — Request: 24-by-36 (864 sq ft) storage building for Nelson Lake Association equipment and potential park use. Motion to approve by Marshall Savitsky; second by Dale Magnuson. Roll-call: 5 yes, 0 no. Outcome: approved with findings of fact and staff conditions restricting habitable uses and commercial operation and requiring county land-use permits.

- CUP 25-039 (Town of Hayward, Way Pro LLC) — Request: amend CUP 18-002 for transfer to new owner and to permit up to eight tourist-rooming properties’ guests to use a private 3-hole golf facility. Motion to table (to allow town review) by Dale Magnuson; second by Kaye Wilson. Outcome: tabled to the July zoning committee meeting so the Town of Hayward can weigh in; committee discussion noted staff and counsel concerns about relying on public-comment allegations as substantial evidence and advised collecting addresses for identified rental properties.

- CUP 25-040 (Town of Sand Lake, Charles and Mary Markham) — Request: 40-by-40 (1,600 sq ft) accessory storage building across a town road from the primary dwelling. Motion to approve by Kaye Wilson; second by Dale Magnuson. Roll-call: unanimous. Outcome: approved with conditions prohibiting habitable living areas inside the accessory structure and requiring compliance with town, county and state rules.

- CUP 25-041 (Town of Lenroot, Perry Nelson) — Request: 40-by-80 (3,200–3,600 sq ft requested; limited to 1 story) storage shed across a town road from the primary dwelling, no plumbing proposed. Motion to approve by Marshall Savitsky; second by Dale Magnuson. Roll-call: unanimous. Outcome: approved with conditions that the structure remain a single-story, non-habitable accessory building and comply with permitting and sanitation rules.

- CUP 25-042 (Town of Hayward, SMM Properties LLC / David Farley) — Request: operate a used-car sales establishment at a commercial-1 property adjacent to the City of Hayward; applicant indicated a maximum of 48 vehicles for sale. Motion to approve by Dale Magnuson; second by Marshall Savitsky. Roll-call: 4 yes, 1 no (Ron Buchholz opposed). Outcome: approved with conditions, including a limit of 48 vehicles, compliance with WisDOT regulations and county land-use permitting — the committee made approval contingent on Town of Hayward sign-off as part of the motion.

- Ordinance: Option F (amend Sawyer County code of ordinances Appendix D and section 6.61 on trailer camps and campgrounds; clarify camping-cabin, park-model and slab/foundation language). Motion to forward Option F to the Sawyer County Board with clarified language that park-model trailers must retain their chassis/wheels and that construction of a foundation or slab beneath park-model trailers is prohibited; motion passed (committee recorded as 4–1 in favor). Outcome: forward amended Option F to the County Board for final consideration; committee directed staff to include the clarified slab/foundation language.

Public comment and staff/legal guidance

Nearby property owners and homeowners association representatives addressed the committee during public hearings. Linda Zilmer, an Edgewater property owner who spoke several times, urged careful public-notice procedures and asked the committee to require clearer town input on applications. She also asked the committee to ensure that accessory structures remain non-habitable.

Paul Peterman, president of the Pine Cove Shores homeowners association, opposed the Way Pro amendment over traffic and groundwater concerns near lakefront neighborhoods.

Jay (Zoning and Conservation Administrator) reviewed staff reports for each CUP, listed recommended conditions, and noted town board actions and the numbers of adjacent-property notices mailed and returned.

Rebecca (County legal counsel) advised the committee on legal standards for conditional-use decisions, citing Wisconsin statutes and case law: she warned that substantial evidence is required under Wis. Stat. 59.695(e) for approvals or denials, that conditions can regulate activity on the CUP property but not unrelated rental properties, and that adding a condition making county approval contingent on town approval is permissible but may require further action if the town later denies the request.

Other business

The committee convened a closed session to consult with legal counsel about appeals of zoning committee decisions and related litigation (pursuant to Wis. Stat. 19.85(1)(g)). No public actions resulted from that closed session.

Chair and committee members also discussed a proposed solar development moratorium as a future agenda item. Staff said the moratorium is intended to give the county time to draft regulations for utility-scale solar and battery energy storage systems; no moratorium was enacted at this meeting.

Why it matters

The approvals and the ordinance amendment affect shoreline properties, private campgrounds and commercial uses across multiple Sawyer County towns. Conditions attached to the permits — especially the repeated prohibition on habitable uses within accessory structures and the requirement of town coordination for some approvals — are intended to limit new permanent residential use and to reduce impervious surface impacts near lakes. The campground ordinance change would reintroduce explicit county limits and clarify whether park-model trailers may be set on slabs; the committee added language prohibiting a foundation or slab under park-model units while allowing staff and the County Board to consider grandfathering of existing installations.

What’s next

The Way Pro amendment (CUP 25-039) was tabled to the July zoning committee meeting for town review. The campground ordinance (Option F, amended as the committee directed) will go to the Sawyer County Board for final action. Other approved CUPs proceed to required county land-use permitting steps; the used-car sales approval includes a condition making the CUP contingent on Town of Hayward approval.

(Committee roll-call vote details and staff reports are part of the official record.)