City Council

TOWN OF VERMONT PLAN COMMISSION MEETING August 28, 2023 – 6:00 p.m. Call to order and posting certification. Tim called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. The meeting was properly noticed: posted on the front door of Town Hall, posted on the town website, emailed to the online subscribers, and published in the Mount Horeb Mail and Star News. Present: Tim Pierce, Diane Anderson, Dean Bossenbroek, Jim Elleson, Doug Meier, Scott Moe Absent: Nick Balster Approval of agenda Doug moved and Jim seconded a motion to approve the agenda. Motion carried 6-0. Approval of July meeting minutes Doug moved and Jim seconded a motion to approve the July meeting minutes. Motion carried 6-0. Public Input/General Comments None. Chair’s Report • Matt Baker had a question about whether a culvert was needed on his proposed driveway on Blue Mounds Trail. Jim and Tim visited the site and agreed none was required. • There was a technical correction on Barb Grenlie’s rezone to FP-1 on the 15.9-acre parcel. County changed it to FP-35. • Comprehensive Plan Review – process starts next month. • Dane County ordinance on salvage operations (salvage yards) should be reviewed. Bring any concerns to Tim’s attention before the Board meeting. Zoning Considerations in the Context of Comprehensive Plan Goals. – Colleen Robinson • Colleen Robinson made a presentation to the PC on a vision for sustainable living in future years. For sustainability, we will have to share more space e.g., cooperative living or cooperative farming. • Challenges being faced in starting a project in the Town of Vermont e.g., PDR availability or unrelated people. • Vermont is more concerned with Ag preservation than ecological restoration. • Goals could be met but there are problems with zoning. • Land prices in Dane County are very high. Town of Vermont Site Visit Notes • Reviewed the suggested site visit notes sheet. • Dean suggested that we should have something to measure sight lines. • The suggestion was made to ask chair about purchasing a wheel. • We will use the sheet on our next site visit to see how it works.  Ridgetop Protection Enforcement Option • Levee would not be appropriate – ordinance violations are enforced through the court. • Could ask the County to do a zoning overlay district. o would have their own set of zoning regulations. o county would monitor. o would have a more powerful enforcement tool. • Would be an added layer of accountability for people who are building. • A suggestion was made to have the county give us the overlay now and use it for 6 months on our site visits. Dane County Zoning Agricultural Building FP-35 approval criteria • County said that Matt Underwood could not build an ag building on FP-35 land unless he filed a Schedule F for 3 years or had a residence on the property. • A suggestion was made to see the floor plan of the proposed building. • We could put in our comprehensive plan that we allow ag buildings on agricultural land. • Possibly deed restrict and say ag building allowed but no plumbing. • The plan commission feels strongly that the criteria applying to Matt is extraneous and we support an ag building. Solar Energy Ordinance. • Continued working on the proposed ordinance. • Suggested changes will be sent to Tim to update for the next meeting. Agenda items for the next meeting. Ridgetop protection Comprehensive plan review Solar energy ordinance Next meeting date September 25, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. Adjournment. Scott moved and Dean seconded a motion to adjourn. Motion carried 5-0. The meeting was adjourned at 7:58 p.m. Diane Anderson, Plan Commission Secretary