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Board denies Good Templers' request to add garage, expand second story on Camp Cleghorn property
Summary
The Waupaca County Board of Adjustment voted 4–1 to deny a variance for Good Templers Training School to add an attached garage and expand vertically within the highway centerline setback on Camp Rd., citing emergency access and ordinance consistency.
The Waupaca County Board of Adjustment denied a petition from Good Templers Training School to add an attached garage and vertically expand a dwelling within the required highway centerline setback in the Sewered Residential District on Camp Road in the Town of Dayton (approximately 29.61 acres).
Agent Bradley Zastrow and Camp Cleghorn president Mark Ilton testified in favor of the project, saying the camp maintains the private road and presenting images of existing garages. Ilton told the board the camp’s land contract arrangement means homeowners own residences but not the land and argued the county should treat the private road context differently; he said the new ordinances were unfair to camp property owners.
Planning and Zoning Code Enforcement Specialist Jeffrey Henneman presented the staff report and recommended denial, noting the structure is in the right-of-way of a Level III highway and that the vertical expansion does not meet rebuild allowances. Henneman and other staff explained county zoning treats private roads as subject to the same setback standards to preserve emergency access.
Board members focused on emergency services access. P. Leder emphasized that setbacks exist because “firetrucks are big” and that the ordinance helps ensure emergency access. The board concluded the applicants had not demonstrated unnecessary hardship or uniqueness and that granting the variance would weaken zoning protections. P. Leder moved to deny the variance; D. Johnson seconded. Roll call vote: P. Craig—yes; D. Johnson—yes; J. Fulcher—No; G. Marx—yes; P. Leder—yes. The motion carried 4–1. The board closed the hearing and adjourned at 12:18 p.m.
The minutes record a Chain Sanitary District letter read into the record in support of the application but do not show any conditions or alternative approvals; staff noted there is no blanket grandfathering for private roads under the current comprehensive zoning standards.
