Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Planning Conflict topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board members debate consistency with Comprehensive Plan before approving variance
Summary
Board members questioned whether the requested variance aligned with the Winona County Comprehensive Plan and the purpose of the zoning ordinance; an initial motion to deny received no second before the Board approved the variance 5-0 with added conditions.
During deliberations on Docket BOA 05-21-26-01, several Board members raised concerns that the variance conflicted with the Winona County Comprehensive Plan’s goal to preserve agricultural land. Ed Walsh moved to deny the variance on the basis that Finding of Fact #1 was not in harmony with the purpose of the zoning ordinance and cited inconsistencies with the Comprehensive Plan, but that motion received no second and was withdrawn.
Members and staff discussed that soils distribution, parcel shape and a jurisdictional boundary with the City of Stockton created practical difficulties for locating a compliant building site without a more complex parcel design. After extended discussion the Board adopted staff findings and added a condition limiting disturbance of Class I–III soils to 4 acres; Ed Walsh later urged the County Board to reconcile ordinance and Comprehensive Plan inconsistencies for future cases.
