La Crosse board approves reduced fill variance for 412 Liberty Street over one dissent

On Feb. 16, 2026, the La Crosse Board of Zoning Appeals voted 4–1 to grant a modified variance allowing a smaller width of floodplain fill than normally required for a proposed single-family dwelling at 412 Liberty Street.

The board’s action came after staff testimony, the applicant’s presentation and a contested deliberation that focused on whether granting the variance would undermine the city’s efforts to move properties out of the floodplain. Chair (who presided over the hearing) called the item and swore in staff and witnesses.

David Reinhart, a building-inspections staff member, told the board the application sought a variance for the width of required fill around the dwelling — not the finished-floor height — because the lot’s dimensions prevented meeting the ordinance’s 15-foot fill extension from the structure on both the north and south sides. Reinhart said the zoning building setbacks would be met, but the variance request was limited to the lateral (horizontal) fill requirement. He also clarified that a width-of-fill variance is a DNR-related standard and “does not constitute a FEMA violation,” as FEMA and DNR rules differ.

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