Town Hall
Wednesday, January 19, 2000, for approval at the
2/16/00 Meeting
Town Chairman Tews called the meeting to
order at 5:00 p.m.
PRESENT: Chairman Tews and Planning
Commissioners’Alvin
Bellmer, Dennis Jochman, and Roy Kuehn.
*Chuck Lewis
arrived at 5:05 p.m.*
and
Associate Planner Jeffrey Smith
EXCUSED: Jeanne Krueger
Michael Lynch
Dolores Lynch
Todd
Engleman
Dawn
O’Dell
Jerry
O’Dell
Wayne
Ducharme
Sally Ducharme
Scott
Thomson
Approval of Minutes – December 15, 1999
the minutes of the Planning Commission Meeting of December 15, 1999.
Motion
carried with 4 Aye, 2 Excused (Comm. Lewis arrived at 5:05 p.m.).
Chairman Tews,
Commissioners’ Bellmer, Jochman, Kuehn Aye; Comm. Krueger, Lewis
Excused.
1. Rezoning – Town of Menasha – (008-0172(p))
The Town of Menasha
requested a rezoning of property now zoned P-1 (Institutional &
Development Director Dearborn
explained that the B-4 district provides for the review of
each proposed use by the Planning Commission and Town Board. Also,
Director Dearborn
explained that all nearby property owners would be notified of any
proposed use and that the
zoning district ensures that screening and other special requirements
are applied when
needed to address specific site issues. Chairman Tews then discussed the
history of the Town
property and pointed out that there
have been offers on the Town property in the past.
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John Schaidler, 623 E. Shady Ln., questioned the rezoning and preferred
it being a park. Mr.
Schaidler pointed to increasing population in the Town of Menasha and
nearby residences as
reasons why the land should not be a Business Park but rather a Town
park. Mr. Schaidler later
inquired about the asking price and appraised value of the Town land.
Chairman Tews did not
know the appraised value but told residents that they could get that
information the next day
from the Town Administration office.
Mike Lynch, 1274 E. Shady Ln.,
explained that he was told by the Town that the Town property
would be made into a park, when he purchased his home in 1986. Mr. Lynch
also commented
that a nearby Quarry shakes his home and questioned if businesses in the
proposed Business Park
would find that as a nuisance. Chairman Tews then reassured the
residents that this is not a new
issue but rather the use of the Town property had been discussed for the
past four years.
Furthermore, Director Dearborn pointed out that the 1996 Comprehensive
Plan has a future land
use map, which calls for further trails and addressing park needs.
Director Dearborn concurred
with Chairman Tews that there have been meetings and discussions on the
Town property.
In addition, Director Dearborn explained that the B-4 zoning district
would preserve trees and
call for additional landscaping.
Comm. Jochman asked if there has been marketing of the land west of the
Town Hall. Director
Dearborn responded that this land is not being marketed now. In
addition. Commissioner
Jochman felt that the Town residents should know the asking price for
the Town property and
that the Planning Commission cannot make a decision without this
information. Comm. Kuehn
reported that he is concerned with open space issues, such as parks and
trees. Comm. Bellmer
asked Director Dearborn how much Town property there is on the East Side
(63-64 acres) and
West Side (10-15 acres) of CB and E. Shady Ln. In addition, Comm.
Bellmer said that he now
interprets the Comprehensive Plan to preserve the Town property for a
park.
Jerry O’Dell, 1993 Fox Burrow Ct., said that he opposed the B-4
rezoning, mainly because of a
fear of increased traffic flow on E. Shady Ln. Mr. O’Dell believed that
the Town should focus
on a different area for a Business Park and that the Town property under
review should possibly
be used for a park. Mr. O’Dell believed that that there would be a
benefit to the tax base with a
park nearby.
Comm. Lewis was concerned with access to the proposed Business Park.
Director Dearborn
explained that the access point would be near Olde Buggy Dr. and
Chairman Tews pointed out
that there is a 60 ft. right-of-way near Olde Buggy Dr. Comm. Lewis
inquired on whether some
portion of the Town property could be used for a park, with the
remaining portion for a Business
Park. Sally Ducharme, 1310 E. Shady Ln., was concerned with her property
being used as an
access, in which Director Dearborn responded by reiterating Chairman
Tews point that there is a
a
right-of-way present. Also, Mrs. Ducharme pointed out that her holding tank
would be
disrupted by a road being put in for access to the proposed Business
Park.
Furthermore, after reviewing the section of Comprehensive Plan dealing
with preserving
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unique land for a park, Comm. Lewis said that the Park Commission should
explore the Town
property to see if it fits the unique requirement.
Scott Thomson, 1247 E. Shady Ln., asked what the future use will be for
the land north of the
Town Municipal Building. Director Dearborn responded that there may be
an extension to the
Town Municipal Building.
Chairman Tews then suggested that the Park Commission look at the Town
property more
closely at its meeting later that evening. Furthermore, Chairman Tews
suggested that the decision
on
the rezoning be delayed thirty days until the next Planning Commission meeting.
Motion by Commissioner Bellmer, seconded by Commissioner Lewis, to delay
the decision on
the rezoning for thirty days, until the next Planning Commission
meeting. Motion carried with
5
Aye, 1 Excused.
Chairman Tews, Commissioners’ Bellmer, Jochman, Lewis, Kuehn Aye;
Commissioner Krueger
Excused.
2.
Approval of dates for 2000 Planning Commission meetings
Motion
by Commissioner Bellmer, seconded by Commissioner Jochman, to approve the 2000
Planning Commission meeting dates as submitted. Motion carried with 5
Aye, 1 Excused.
Chairman Tews; Commissioners’ Bellmer, Jochman, Lewis, Kuehn Aye;
Commissioner Krueger
Excused.
3. Annual review of Comprehensive Plan
Community Development Director Dearborn briefly talked about some of the
goals and objectives
of
the Comprehensive Plan. Also, Director Dearborn commented that the public can
access the
Comprehensive Plan from the Town website or come to the Community
Development office if
they want to view any section of the plan. Director Dearborn then
mentioned that the
Comprehensive Plan should be updated
in 2001. Furthermore, Director Dearborn explained that
the
recent Smart Growth legislation from the state has specific requirements
concerning
comprehensive plans, many of which the Town of Menasha has already met.
In addition, Director
Dearborn explained that the Town will pursue grants available to meet
some requirements that
still need to be met. Director Dearborn said that the Town would attempt
to meet the remaining
requirements before the 2010
deadline, especially since there are financial incentives to get done
early. Director Dearborn then stressed the importance and desire to have
public input on
updating the Comprehensive Plan. Finally, Director Dearborn discussed
how the Smart Growth
legislation provides for changes in the structure of planning
commissions. Director Dearborn
pointed out that the new legislation states that there now can be an all
citizen commission or there
does not have to be any changes made to the current Planning Commission.
Director Dearborn did
bring up the conflict of interests with elected officials being on the
Planning Commission.
ADJOURNMENT
Motion by Commissioner Jochman, seconded by Commissioner Bellmer, to
adjourn the meeting
at
6:33 p.m. Motion carried with 5 Aye; 1 Excused.
Respectfully
submitted,
Jeffrey Smith
Associate
Planner