Spooner council narrows Industrial and Agricultural permitted uses and approves 7.57-acre rezoning to R-2

The Spooner City Council on Aug. 5 approved two zoning-code amendments and a rezoning request that city officials say will clarify appropriate uses in the downtown and surrounding areas.

Koverman presented Plan Commission recommendations to amend Chapter 86-301(3) to restrict certain uses in the Industrial B district and Chapter 86-321 to remove tourist camps and campgrounds as permitted uses in the Agricultural district. Councilmembers said the changes aim to protect downtown character and the city's tax base. Council approved the Industrial B amendment on a motion by Dunn, seconded by Everroad, and approved the Agricultural amendment on a motion by Oja, seconded by Dunn.

Separately, the council approved a rezoning request from the Thompson Trust to reclassify Lots 2, 3 and 4 (7.57 acres; Tax IDs 36974, 36975, 36976) from Industrial B to Residential 2. The motion (Oja/Krueger) passed; Councilmember Gabriel abstained. Councilmember Lake said he was reluctant to vote because he is concerned the residential tax yield may not generate enough revenue to pave streets and asked for greater oversight of lot-size and development decisions; after the mayor asked members to vote, Lake voted yes. Kohler clarified that a failure to cast a vote would be recorded as a no vote.

Koverman said the Industrial B change responds to Plan Commission concerns about allowing uses in downtown areas that the commission and council consider inappropriate. The Agricultural change followed Plan Commission review that, according to staff, found tourist camp tax yields can be minimal for the acreage involved.

The council did not record full roll-call vote tallies in the minutes beyond noting Gabriel's abstention and Lake's eventual yes; the motion outcomes were recorded as PASSED. The zoning amendments and rezoning will move forward consistent with municipal code procedures for ordinance adoption and rezoning implementation.