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Soil conservation group seeks tree-setback changes; Grant County P&Z opts for case-by-case variances
Summary
Sam Jensen of the Grant County Soil Conservation District asked the Planning & Zoning Board to consider changes to Article 5, Section 1.18 (tree setbacks). The board decided not to change the ordinance now and instead directed residents or producers to request case-by-case variances through P&Z Director Jason Albert, with variance requests brought to the board for a decision.
Sam Jensen, program director for the Grant County Soil Conservation District, asked the Planning & Zoning Board on Oct. 9 to consider changing the county's tree setback ordinance (Article 5, Section 1.18 of the Grant County Ordinances).
The board did not adopt any ordinance changes at the meeting. Instead, members decided that people seeking relief from the tree-planting setback should contact P&Z Director Jason Albert on a case-by-case basis. Director Albert will forward variance requests to the Planning & Zoning Board, which will review and either approve or deny each request.
The discussion was framed as a procedural path rather than a policy rewrite: Jensen raised the need for flexibility, and the board agreed to use the existing variance process handled by the director and the board. The minutes do not record any vote tally or a motion to change the ordinance; they record the board's direction on how future variance requests should be handled.
Next steps recorded in the minutes: residents or producers will contact Director Jason Albert when they seek a variance from Article 5, Section 1.18; the board will be presented with the specific variance requests for deliberation. The minutes do not specify a timeline for any ordinance rewrite or for the first variance to be reviewed.
