Posted: 12/14/04
County commissioners approve tower permit
Houston County commissioners approved a conditional use permit on November 30 for Patrick Delaney to build a communications tower in an agricultural district.
The county planning commission also approved it on November 18.
The 485-foot tower will be located in the southwest corner of section 14 of Brownsville Township. The township has not approved it yet.
Zoning administrator Bob Scanlan said that Delaney and landowner John Schuldt have an agreement to cross Bob Gramsí land on the ridge to get to the tower to build it.
Once the tower has been built, workers will access it using an existing hill road on Schuldtís property that connects to 10 Bluffs Drive. The road has a 14 percent grade, which exceeds the maximum 12 percent grade for residences in the county. But that will not be an issue, Scanlan said, since no one is living at the tower.
All guy wires must be 50 feet from property lines.
Power to the site will come either from south of 10 Bluff Drives or across a field on the Grams property. A perpetual easement from Grams will be required for the second option.
Some people voiced opposition at the planning commission meeting, Scanlan said. They wondered where it would be situated.
Schuldt is leasing the land to Delaney, who in turn will lease it to communications companies.
John Schuldt, and his son, Robert, were at the county board meeting but did not speak.
Money Creek preliminary
plat OKed
The county board also approved a preliminary plat for Josh Norlein in section 12 of Money Creek Township.
Norlein plans to subdivide a 13-acre lot on which he currently lives into five lots, including his own. The land is already zoned residential. The houses will need to share a well because of setback requirements from the drainfield. Norleinís current driveway will also be moved to connect to the new road in the subdivision. The Minnesota Department of Transportation must approve the new road. The final plat will be ready in December or January, Scanlan said.
Zoning permits approved
The county board also approved 10 zoning permits on November 30, following the recommendations of the planning commission. They are for:
ï Donna Buckbee, Yucatan Twsp., to build pole barn (26x40);
ï Garfield and Bonnie Gregerson, Brownsville Township, to build addition on house (24x28);
ï Blue View Dairy Farm, Mayville Township, to build machine shed w/shop (56x128);
ï Tom Phillips, Mound Prairie Township, to build addition (18x14);
ï Les Crocker, Houston Township, to build addition on workshop/barn (18x17);
ï Rodney Vetsch, Mound Prairie Township, to build addition on garage (30x32);
ï Richard Torgeson, Money Creek Township, to build barn, dairy (104x38);
ï Patricia Mullen, Jefferson Township, to install trailer house (14x65);
ï John Dvorak, Money Creek Township, to build addition on pole shed (48x48);
ï Keith Nedegaard, Union Township, to build well house (16x20).
The planning commission also reappointed Bruce Lee, Houston, and David Alstad, Spring Grove, to the planning commission. Their terms, which are for three years, expire December 31. The county board will vote on the appointments in January.
Other planning commission members are Dave Corcoran, Brownsville; Glenn Kruse, Eitzen; Garland Moe, Caledonia; Terry Rosendahl, Hokah; and Charlie Wieser, La Crescent.
The Houston County Board of Adjustment approved a variance at their November 18 meeting for Brian Kaarlsbroten, Mound Prairie Township, of 34 feet from the rear of his property line to build a shop.
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