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Board approves Frasier wetland-setback variance with runoff and height conditions, 5–0
Summary
The Sawyer County Board of Appeals approved variance 25-008 for Jacob and Aaron Frasier to place a detached garage 23 feet from a wetland (county standard 40 feet), imposing runoff-management and sidewall-height conditions; approval passed 5–0.
The Sawyer County Board of Appeals voted 5–0 to approve variance 25-008 for Jacob and Aaron Frasier, allowing a detached 24-by-32-foot garage to be placed 23 feet from a non-navigable wetland where Sawyer County requires a 40-foot setback.
Board member Steve Kelsey moved to approve the variance with conditions to control runoff and limit the sidewall height; the motion was seconded by Joe Baron and carried unanimously. Conditions included an approved water-management/runoff system (gutter routing and trap-rock or French drain options) and a sidewall height limit of 10 feet (roughly a 17-foot overall height), as discussed on the record.
Zoning staff described the site as 4.53 acres (tax ID 27755) and noted prior approvals affecting the parcel (a 2007 variance for an attached garage with living quarters). Staff said the parcel has a narrow envelope of buildable area and that, on inspection, shifting the proposed garage several feet reduced wetland encroachment while maintaining needed access.
Applicant Jacob Frasier said the site is "very unique" and that the proposed garage would fit the small buildable envelope without removing mature trees. He described erosion-control measures already in place at the driveway and said gutters would be tied to a drain tile and riprap to slow runoff. "This site is kinda down in a hole," he told the board, adding the design aims to match neighboring structures and limit tree clearing.
Board discussion noted the county now calculates impervious surface across a parcel's entire land area (affecting the 4.53-acre calculation) and considered whether a prior conversion of a garage to habitable space should influence the current decision; members concluded site constraints and mitigation measures supported approval with conditions.
The board approved variance 25-008 by voice vote, 5–0, with the stipulated erosion and runoff management requirements and a sidewall-height restriction. Staff will document the conditions in the decision letter and monitor compliance through the county permitting process.
