Committee forwards Melvin Coons five‑acre rezoning to county board

The Marquette County Planning and Zoning Committee on a unanimous voice vote decided to forward a rezoning request for a five‑acre parcel owned by Melvin Coons to the County Board for final action.

At a public hearing the committee heard from a Town of Buffalo representative, Mr. Wallace, who said he was appearing at the request of Urban Miller (identified in the hearing as an Amish community representative). Mr. Wallace told the panel the parcel, in Section 11 of the town of Buffalo, had an existing house and was currently located in a prime‑agriculture district that generally carries a 40‑acre minimum. "He wants to reszone out of farmland preservation and into a residential 5‑acre minimum so the setbacks are easier," Mr. Wallace said, adding the applicant seeks to build a barn/storage structure.

Jean, the county zoning administrator, confirmed the change would move the property out of a farmland‑preservation (40‑acre minimum) designation into an agricultural‑residential classification that allows five‑acre minimum parcels; she also noted both the town board and the town planning commission had endorsed the application. The committee then moved and seconded a resolution to forward the rezoning request to the county board; the motion carried and the hearing was closed.

Why it matters: The rezoning would allow the owner to build accessory structures with reduced setback requirements on a five‑acre parcel that would otherwise fall short of prime‑agriculture minimum acreage. The county board will review the committee’s recommendation and must adopt any ordinance change before it takes effect.

Next steps: The committee’s vote forwards the proposed zoning amendment by resolution to the county board. No final county‑level action occurred at the meeting; a county board vote will determine the ultimate outcome.