Winona County panel recommends approval for 3-acre lot to allow new home on Wingert farm

The Winona County Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of a conditional use permit that would allow a new single‑family dwelling on a proposed roughly 3‑acre parcel split from a 262‑acre Wingert family farm in Section 17 of Whitewater Township.

Planning staff described the petition as “the split of a three acre proposed parcel in section 17 of Whitewater Township,” saying the parcel would be at the end of Beaver Ridge Drive and would use an existing field road for access. Staff said the application included a draft site plan and recommended the commission grant the conditional use permit with two standard conditions.

The commission’s recommendation follows staff findings that the proposed site has relatively gentle slopes (about 6–10 percent) and that the site’s soils and access can accommodate a dwelling with the conditions described in the report. Lou, a county staff member presenting the item, said the Wingerts operate a beef cattle operation on 262 acres and that the proposed lot would be carved from that holding. Lou also noted Whitewater Township had signed the township acknowledgement form indicating support for the split and that staff had attached two conditions to any approval.

Applicant Lisa Wingert, who attended the meeting with her husband Peter, said the new parcel is intended to allow their son, Lucas, to live closer to the farm. “Our son Lucas is the one that expressed interest in building. He currently helps on the farm,” Wingert said. She told commissioners Lucas recently married and currently lives in Plainview; locating near the family farm would let him help more easily with farming tasks.

Staff and the commission discussed practical details: the proposed drive would be shared with a neighboring parcel that already has approval for a dwelling, and staff said there appears to be a recorded field‑access easement that may be used. Lou noted the site plan initially looked closer to 4 acres on the applicant’s drawing, but the public notice and the application describe a 3‑acre parcel for the conditional use request.

Commissioners asked about other approvals and timelines. Staff and the applicants said the parcel and driveway arrangements would need the usual county permits (septic, driveway) and that banks or lenders often request a smaller separate parcel for mortgage purposes, which is one common reason property owners request splits like this. Staff also said a variance for soils or setback issues had been granted earlier in the day by the Board of Adjustment, and that that decision addressed a related constraint for the site.

After public hearing (no public speakers objected), a commissioner moved to recommend approval with the staff findings and draft conditions; the commission recorded aye votes and the recommendation will be forwarded to the Winona County Board for final action. The county board is scheduled to consider the matter on Nov. 12 at 9 a.m.

If the County Board adopts the recommendation, the conditional use would be tied to the legal description of the newly created parcel and the conditions described in the staff report; staff noted that substantially different parcel configurations (for example, splitting 20 acres into 5‑ or 10‑acre parcels) would require new or amended permits and additional notice.

The commission discussion also noted broader policy context: Winona County’s current zoning approach maintains a 40‑acre density standard for rural agricultural land, with a process to consider smaller parcels through conditional use; commissioners and staff said that balance between preserving agricultural land and allowing family‑scale housing is a topic for the county’s comprehensive plan work now underway.

The record of the meeting and staff report are on file with Winona County Planning and Zoning; the item will return to the County Board for final action on Nov. 12.