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Board approves minor variance for Twin Springs Trust; staff to require stormwater mitigation
Summary
The St. Croix County Zoning Board granted a variance for a 192-square-foot addition at 1502 Twin Springs Road for accessibility and winter safety, requiring a rain garden sized for a 25-year storm, conversion of 370 sq ft of pavement to pervious pavers, and non-reflective earth-tone materials.
The St. Croix County Zoning Board of Adjustment on Feb. 26, 2026 unanimously approved a variance allowing a 4.8-by-40-foot (192 sq ft) addition to an existing nonconforming house at 1502 Twin Springs Road (Twin Springs Trust), conditioned on stormwater mitigation and design controls.
County staff summarized the proposal and said the addition would be landward of the bluff and not visible from the Saint Croix River. Staff said the applicant plans to remove or convert 370 square feet of existing impervious driveway surface to pervious pavers, and install a rain garden sized to handle a 25-year rainfall event (4.7 inches) to reduce runoff. The National Park Service and the Somerset plan commission had reviewed the plans and raised no objections; the DNR provided a letter stating it would not object so long as statutory variance criteria are satisfied and best-management practices are applied during construction.
The applicants explained the addition is primarily a covered hallway/walkway to improve winter access to the garage and a dog-run area and to reduce slipping on ice that collects near the garage doors. Consultant Zach Fagan of ACA Engineering told the board the change responds to winter-safety and accessibility concerns and that the property owners are proposing more stormwater mitigation than is required.
Staff framed the findings to emphasize the small size of the request, the limited buildable area on the combined lots, and the presence of steep slopes and road-right-of-way setbacks that constrain alternatives. The board incorporated staff-recommended conditions including: a 192-square-foot maximum for the addition, non-reflective earth-tone materials to keep the structure visually inconspicuous from the river, a 25-year-storm–sized rain garden, conversion of 370 square feet to pervious pavers, and compliance with any other applicable permits.
A board member moved to approve the variance with the stated changes; the motion was seconded and carried unanimously. Staff will finalize the written decision and make it available for signatures.
The hearing concluded with announcements about upcoming county board consideration of ordinance amendments and the meeting was adjourned.
