DC PR&D approves Meade rezone in Grant to A2

By LeAnn R. Ralph

MENOMONIE —  Although the entire Town of Grant is zoned exclusive agriculture with a minimum lot size of 35 acres, the Dunn County Planning, Resources and Development Committee is recommending a rezone to A2 for a five-acre lot.

During a public hearing August 27, Nicole Meade of Eau Claire said she was requesting the rezone for the property as a strategy for marketing.

The property in question, which belongs to the estate of Joanne Earnhart, is in Section 14 of the Town of Grant and lies east of 970th Street.

Because Grant is zoned exclusive agriculture, the minimum lot size is 35 acres, but in this case, the 40-acre line splits the house, and about half of the garage is on a different 40-acre parcel, said Mark Dietsche, chair of the Town of Grant.

The Town of Grant plan commission approved the rezone with the understanding that deed restrictions would be place, he said.

“We would normally adhere to the 35 acres,” Dietsche said, noting that the township’s plan commission was split on the issue, with three members voting in favor of allowing a smaller lot size and two voting against.

“It is critical to treat everyone the same,” Dietsche said.

The township has turned down previous requests for other property because the person did not want deed restrictions, he said.

The land associated with the house is almost 400 acres, Dietsche noted.

To follow the exclusive agriculture zoning, another 15 acres would have to be taken out of the adjoining 40 acres to go along with the 20 acres where the house is located, he explained.

The property has already been surveyed, and the deed restrictions are on the survey, Dietsche said.

The survey was done on six acres, and part of the six acres extends into the 40-acre parcel, said Cleo Herrick, Dunn County zoning administrator.

Various PR&D members wanted to know how many acres were taken out of the 40-acre parcel.

Herrick said that about 39 acres remain.

No one else besides Meade and Dietsche spoke either for or against the proposed rezone.

The Planning, Resources and Development committee voted unanimously to recommend that the county board approve the rezone.

Bob Walter of Menomonie serves as chair of the PR&D committee. PR&D members Gary Bjork of Colfax, Kitz Cleary of Colfax, and Tom Quinn of Downing also voted in favor of recommending the rezone.