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Committee delays decision on Shields rezoning request to allow town review
Summary
Karen Wagoner sought rezoning of an 80-acre parcel in the Town of Shields so a camper could remain on site; committee members cited floodplain constraints and timing with the town planning commission and tabled the rezoning until the town provides a recommendation.
The Dodge County Land Resources and Parks Committee on March 23 opened a public hearing on a rezoning petition by Karen Wagoner to change roughly 80 acres in the Town of Shields from A1 prime agricultural zoning to A2 general agricultural zoning, a step staff said would permit a conditional use application for a licensed campground.
Staff told the committee the entire parcel lies in an unstudied Zone A floodplain, which would require hydraulic and hydrologic analysis prior to structural improvements exceeding 50% of assessed value or placement of fill. Staff also noted an active on-site violation (a family member residing in a camper) and explained that rezoning to A2 would enable a conditional use route that could address that occupancy, but that staff had no recommendation until affected town boards acted.
Applicant Karen Wagoner clarified she was not seeking a commercial campground and said the family was requesting permission for a sister’s camper to remain so that the sister can help care for their failing mother. The camper resident testified she had lived on the property for about 10 years while caring for the family and asked the committee for relief.
Neighbors raised flood-plain concerns. Charles Schott, an adjacent landowner, recounted prior flooding at a campground downstream and urged caution about allowing campgrounds on flood-prone land. Town of Shields officials described scheduling and notice constraints: Ron Johnson, a town supervisor, and Julie Gluskin, the town clerk, said the town planning commission had not yet reviewed the petition and that residents had asked questions about sanitary arrangements and flooding.
Committee members discussed options including rezoning only the acreage with existing buildings, the need for a certified survey map to split parcels, and the regulatory limits on single campers outside licensed campgrounds. Staff explained that a licensed campground in a floodplain can be permitted but would require 24-hour evacuation plans coordinated with emergency management and that floodplain construction standards apply to any connected structures.
Given the timing issues and the town’s forthcoming review, a committee member moved to table the rezoning request and await the Town of Shields’ recommendation; the motion passed by voice vote. No rezoning decision was made on March 23.
Next steps: the Committee will wait for the Town of Shields’ planning commission or town board recommendation and reconvene to consider the petition and any additional documentation, including potential hydrologic studies or a certified survey map.
