Minocqua Plan Commission approves permits, land divisions and conditional uses

The Minocqua Plan Commission on April 28 approved a series of permits and recommended multiple land divisions and conditional use permits to the Town Board, including a 99-square-foot sign replacement, several administrative review permits for retail and short-term rental uses, two certified survey maps and an amended conditional use permit for vehicle sales and dog grooming.

Carla Blankenship of Oneida County Planning and Zoning told the commission the sign at 8116 USH 51 is a legally existing sign and the replacement involves 99 square feet; she said the previously added LED sign plus the replacement do not exceed the 50% valuation limit and are in compliance. On a motion by Mark Pertile, seconded by Michael Tautges, the commission approved Sign Permit #11-26.

The commission approved Administrative Review Permit #14-26 for a proposed tourist rooming house at 8530 Huber Lane after Blankenship noted the parcel is in a single-family zoning district and on the sanitary district, with occupancy determined by the Health Department and four parking spaces provided; Commissioner Billy Fried recorded an objection based on the single-family zoning. The commission approved ARP #15-26 for a floral shop at 8532 USH 51; Blankenship said the tenant would employ one person and that the site provides 42 parking spaces. ARP #16-26 to display portable buildings at a property with an existing conditional use permit was also approved; applicant James Carey said he would not be selling portable shipping containers.

County planner Scott Ridderbusch reported on two preliminary certified survey maps. CSM #17-26 would split a parcel at 7601 Highway 51 into two lots; Ridderbusch said Wisconsin DOT raised no concerns but noted the existing driveway on Highway 51 was not permitted when built and would need to be relocated to Blue Lake Road if lot 1 is redeveloped. CSM #18-26 further divides Lot 8 of Jansen's Squirrel Lake Lodge; Ridderbusch said both resulting lots meet size requirements and a condition prohibits further division for five years. The commission recommended both CSMs to the Town Board.

The commission recommended Conditional Use Permit #19-26 for a boat rental and retail business at 212 W. Chicago Ave.; Blankenship said the application shows storage for 12 boats, an indoor showroom, employee areas and parking that meets County requirements. On Conditional Use Permit #13-26, to add vehicle display and a dog-grooming business at a multi-tenant property owned by NBT Properties LLC, Ridderbusch described existing uses and parking and owner Nick Trapp said he would not park vehicles in the DOT right-of-way. The commission adopted an amended recommendation that requires the CUP application to be updated to include the dog-grooming business and that limits the vehicle display area to the space between Building A and the highway right-of-way.

Votes at a glance: Sign Permit #11-26: approved (motion by Pertile, seconded by Tautges). ARP #14-26 (tourist rooming house): approved with one recorded dissent by Commissioner Billy Fried (motion by Pertile, seconded by Hegge). ARP #15-26 (floral shop): approved (motion by Pertile, seconded by Taylor). ARP #16-26 (portable buildings display): approved (motion by Hegge, seconded by Taylor). CSM #17-26: recommended to Town Board (motion by Fried, seconded by Hegge). CSM #18-26: recommended to Town Board (motion by Pertile, seconded by Hegge). CUP #19-26: recommended to Town Board (motion by Pertile, seconded by Taylor). CUP #13-26 (vehicle display plus dog grooming): recommended to Town Board with conditions (amended motion by Pertile, seconded by Fried).

The commission took no final Town-Board-level votes; several items will be forwarded with the conditions outlined and any application updates required. The meeting adjourned at 10:47 a.m.