Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Utilities topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Applicant seeks variance to enclose Neenah lift-station generator; town asks for landscaping
Summary
McManus Associates told the Winnebago County Board of Adjustment staff that the Nina Sanitary District needs a backup generator at 718 Milkwood Court and proposes a roughly 10-by-20-foot enclosure; the Town recommended approval with a landscaping condition. The board deferred a decision until its April 9 meeting.
Ben Hamblin, of McManus Associates, told the Winnebago County Board of Adjustment that the Nina Sanitary District needs a backup generator for a lift station that serves about 170 homes in the Sunset Terrace subdivision. "Our operations consultant has concluded that a backup generator is needed in that area," he said, and the district proposes a roughly 10-by-20-foot enclosure to house the generator and move the stainless-steel control panel inside the building to reduce visual impact.
Why it matters: the enclosure would change an exterior minor utility installation into a structure that requires a foundation and a variance because it would sit within the front-yard setback adjacent to the lift station. Ben Hamblin said the homeowners association granted an easement for placement next to the sanitary structure and the design team has coordinated colors and materials to match neighborhood palettes.
Board members asked technical and operational questions about height, equipment location and noise. The applicant said the control panel will be enclosed and the concrete lift station will remain exposed in front of the new building so maintenance access is preserved. The applicant also said the generator will run on natural gas, will use a muffler and that weekly test runs are typically short; exhaust would be oriented away from residences.
Town staff and the zoning department provided written correspondence recommending approval with conditions. Caleb, zoning staff, read the town finding that approval was recommended provided landscaping is installed around the building. "The town recommended approval with conditions and their one condition is landscaping around the building," Caleb said. The applicant responded that he will coordinate plantings with the town and a retired landscape architect who has offered to assist.
No final action was taken. The board's chair said the request will be decided at the board's next meeting on Thursday, April 9, and that the public may attend deliberations but will not be allowed to speak during the board's closed decision-making.
The hearing record includes the legal description for the site and written correspondence from the town.
