St. Croix County board approves variance, conditional-use permit for Swanson property

Chair Buck Malek called the hearing to order and the board voted unanimously on Feb. 26, 2026, to grant a conditional-use permit and two variances that allow reconstruction and a landward expansion of a nonconforming house at 1466 Pine Tree Lane in the town of Saint Joseph.

The county’s land-use staff, represented by Kevin Grabow, summarized the application and a Feb. 24, 2026 letter from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Grabow said the applicant, David Swanson, seeks to reconstruct a house that currently sits as close as 10 feet from the top-of-bluff line and to expand an area that would start about 34 feet from that line — a six-foot relaxation of the county’s 40-foot bluff-line setback. Grabow told the board the proposed rebuilt roofline would not be higher than the existing structure and the final footprint would remain under the 2,000-square-foot maximum allowed for the overlay district. He also said staff and DNR had flagged stormwater and erosion controls; the DNR said it would consent to the variances if the board found the statutory tests were met and recommended best-management practices during construction.

The applicant, David Swanson, told the board that shifting the addition six feet east to fully meet the setback was technically possible but would require substantially more excavation, relocation of a well and increased disturbance of the steep slope and existing screening trees. "We want to do the least impactful things," Swanson said, adding that moving the house east could mean more excavation through bedrock and the loss of natural screening. He also told the board he is willing to relocate the proposed rain garden to an area outside the slope-preservation zone if required by the DNR.

Board members pressed staff and the applicant on septic and well implications, the minimal-relief standard for variances and the public-interest test. Grabow confirmed the well would need to be moved under the current plan and that septic sizing would be rechecked; if the old system could not be certified it would have to be replaced in a compliant location. The staff presentation noted that the plan removes several hundred square feet of impervious gravel parking, reducing total impervious area.

After discussion, the board accepted edited findings of fact that emphasized (1) the expansion would be landward of the existing footprint, (2) the relief sought was minimal and (3) the rebuilt structure would remain visually inconspicuous from the river and neighboring properties. Peterson moved to approve the conditional-use permit and variances "as presented;" the motion was seconded and carried unanimously. Conditions to be incorporated in the written decision include use of erosion- and sediment-control best practices, adherence to the final staff plan, and follow-up staff review through the land-use permit process for detailed stormwater infiltration and vegetation management plans.

The board directed staff to finalize the written decision and provide a copy to the applicant for signatures. No further testimony was received after the hearing was closed at 09:43.

Next steps: staff will finalize the findings and the decision document, and the county will monitor compliance with the conditions when the land-use permit is processed.