Board of Adjustment approves conditional use permit

The Washington County Board of Adjustment approved a conditional use permit to allow C. L. ?Lee? Wilson to build a house in the 1800 block of 315

^th

Street a few miles north of Brighton. Wilson had to get a conditional use permit because the property is in the open space overlay and in the 100-year flood plain. The county?s zoning ordinance states that conditional use permits are required in order to build a residence in an open space overlay.

Wilson said in an interview that he wants to build a house on the 169 acres of land that he owns in the county. According to the new flood plain maps, his new residence would be on the edge of the flood plain.

Board member Jeff Goodwin asked Lee if he planned to use the property for commercial purposes such as a hunting lodge. Lee said he did not have any plans to use the property commercially. He said the property is in CRP and he plans to keep it that way.

?We?ve put in wetlands, and I?ve put in switchgrass for the pheasants,? Lee said in an interview. ?We?re putting in what the DNR would recommend as habitat for wildlife.?

Washington County zoning administrator and board secretary Steve Lafaurie said that most of the open space overlay is in the flood plain. Lafaurie said the open space overlay refers to an area that is environmentally sensitive.

?What this requirement does is to allow the board of adjustment to look at each case and apply some parameters to ensure that development isn?t going to have a bad effect on environmentally sensitive areas,? Lafaurie said in an interview.

Lafaurie said the zoning ordinance states that an open space district applies to open areas of the county that provide major environmental resources and which therefore require special consideration prior to receiving a permit.

In other business, Jim Cuddeback was re-elected to chair the board. Tim Trotman was re-elected as the vice chairman. The other board members are Goodwin, Shirleen Huber and Rose Jaynes. Lafaurie sits on the committee but does not get to vote.