Wright County Board of Adjustment approves sign variance, OKs conditioned flood-access exception and several structural variances; continues others

The Wright County Board of Adjustment met May 15 in Buffalo and approved several variances while continuing other items for further review and site inspection.

The board approved a variance for RHL Inc. to place a digital pylon sign at 3637 148th St. NW that would encroach on the township road right-of-way. Troy Rheaume, speaking for RHL, said the township road running parallel to I‑94 pushes the sign farther from the highway and reduces readability for freeway traffic. The variance was approved on a 3–1 vote (Aye: Dan Vick, Bruce Maue, Chairman Paul Aarestad; Nay: Bob Neumann) and conditioned so the sign cannot flash, may change its message no more than once per day, and must maintain at least 15 feet clearance from power lines.

The board also approved a variance that would allow future construction of a primary residence on property where vehicular access is currently more than one foot below the Base Flood Elevation (BFE). Applicant Cody Nordmann confirmed the County elevation data and floodplain mapping show the roadway access lower than the required elevation. The motion—conditioned on meeting all other floodplain standards and requiring a hard-surfaced driveway within the BFE that is at or above the adjacent county road elevation—passed 3–1 (Aye: Maue, Aarestad, Vick; Nay: Neumann). The Delano Fire Department had submitted comments noting response limitations during flooding.

Two additional variances were approved without dissent. Ted and Cathleen Hartwig received approval to cover a 12-by-13-foot portion of an existing deck about 48 feet from Lake Francis on condition that the covered area not be converted later to a screened porch or enclosed living space without additional approvals. Barry Graunke received an after-the-fact variance to retain a 24-by-48-foot agricultural building situated about 95 feet from an unnamed public stream, where the standard setback is 100 feet.

Several items were continued. The board continued a request by Michele and Nathan Danielson to replace a seasonal cabin on East Lake Sylvia to the July 10 meeting after reviewing revised plans that reduce impervious coverage; Bernie Miller of MSTS reported the revised design would lower impervious coverage from 29% to 25%. The board also continued requests for a 336-square-foot storage building on the North Fork of the Crow River (Kevin & Cindy Dircks) and a 3,432-square-foot accessory building that would exceed the accessory-area limit on a 5-acre parcel (Anthony Barthel), both to July 10 so applicants can reassess placement or size and allow for a possible site visit. Marlin Kottke’s proposed non-quarter-quarter parcel division was continued to June 12 to allow Victor Township comment. The request to use an existing 2,400-square-foot building for a home-extended auto-mechanic business (Dean and Michelle Sisell) was continued to June 12 with a site inspection scheduled; neighbors raised concerns about traffic, noise, screening, and whether the building’s use has expanded since 2020.

Votes at a glance: - Approval of April 24 minutes: motion carried unanimously. - Item 1 (Danielson) — continued to July 10 (motion carried unanimously to continue). - Item 2 (RHL Inc., digital pylon sign): approved with conditions; vote Aye: Vick, Maue, Aarestad; Nay: Neumann. - Item 3 (Hartwig deck cover): approved unanimously (condition prohibiting future enclosure). - Item 4 (Dircks storage building): continued to July 10 for site inspection (unanimous continuation). - Item 5 (Nordmann flood-access variance): approved with floodproofing/driveway conditions; Aye: Maue, Aarestad, Vick; Nay: Neumann. - Item 6 (Graunke after-the-fact agricultural building): approved unanimously. - Item 7 (Barthel accessory building): continued to July 10 to reassess size. - Item 8 (Kottke parcel division): continued to June 12 for Township input (unanimous continuation). - Item 9 (Sisell home-extended business): continued to June 12; site inspection scheduled June 5.

Planner Aaron Ogle advised the board on ordinance sections applied to each request and notified applicants where additional permits or interim-use permits (IUPs) would still be required if a variance were granted. The board scheduled a site inspection for June 5 and adjourned at 11:23 a.m.

The Board’s next steps include applicant follow-up, the June 5 site inspection, and revisiting the continued items at the June 12 and July 10 meetings as scheduled.