Winona County Board of Adjustment approves variance permitting home on prime soils with 4-acre cap

The Winona County Board of Adjustment voted 5-0 on May 21, 2026 to approve a variance (Docket BOA 05-21-26-01) permitting a proposed single-family dwelling to be sited on Class I–III (prime) soils, contrary to WCZO 10.4.7(6). The motion, made by Ed Walsh and seconded by Amy Cordry, adopted staff findings of fact and added a third condition restricting development and disturbance of Class I–III prime soils to a maximum of 4 acres, including the dwelling footprint, attached structures, driveway, well, and septic system.

Planner Aaron Lacher presented a staff PowerPoint that included parcel and soils maps, zoning context, permitting history, and a township acknowledgement indicating the Warren Town Board “supports” the proposal. The application, submitted by Sarah Slaby on behalf of Vicki Tiedemann, reflects a practical-difficulty claim tied to the parcel’s jurisdictional boundary with the City of Stockton and site constraints (soils and slopes) that limit compliant building sites without producing an irregular parcel or requiring a Conditional Interim Use Permit. The Board’s written Findings of Fact note that the variance exceeds the soil regulation threshold by approximately 12% and concludes the request is the minimum needed to alleviate the practical difficulty.

The Board’s three conditions require: 1) adherence to representations made during permitting, 2) compliance with applicable state and local regulations, and 3) that disturbance of Class I–III prime soils on the subject parcel be limited to a maximum of 4 acres and that remaining Class I–III soils remain in agricultural use or undisturbed natural cover unless returned for Board review. Chair Jordan Potter read appeal rights to the applicant; the record shows the Appeal to District Court was read aloud following the vote. The minutes record the meeting adjourned at 2:05 p.m.