Plan Commission Meeting

1 VILLAGE OF SISTER BAY 2 HYBRID SPECIAL PLAN COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES 3 TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2025 4 SISTER BAY-LIBERTY GROVE FIRE STATION – 2258 MILL ROAD 5 APPROVED VERSION 6 7 At 5:30 P.M. on Tuesday, March 11, 2025 Denise Bhirdo, the Chair of the Plan Commission, called the 8 hybrid special meeting of the Village of Sister Bay Plan Commission to order. 9 10 Present: Plan Commission Chair Denise Bhirdo, and Commission members Nate Bell, Patrice Champeau, 11 and Ron Kane. 12 13 Excused: Mitch Ohnesorge and Laurel Harff 14 15 Staff Members: Village Administrator Julie Schmelzer, Utilities Manager Megan Barnes, and 16 Administrative Assistant Janal Suppanz 17 18 Others: Sydney Swan of the Bay-Lake Regional Planning Commission, Michelle Lawrie of the DCEDC, Nick 19 and Mary Deviley and two of their daughters, Louise Howson, Bjorn Johnson, Don Howard, Steve 20 Musinsky, Skip Heidler, Ellie Soderberg-Guger, Aaron Bernstein, Dave Matasek, Peggy Cunniff, Jill Gohdes- 21 Wiebe, Terry Wolf, “Barb”, “John R.”, Lisa O’Hearn, Tyler Duvall, John Wettstein, John McMurray, two 22 unidentified individuals who appeared in person, and one unidentified individual who appeared via 23 telephone. 24 25 Agenda Item No. 2: Approval of the Agenda: 26 Motion by Bell, second by Champeau that the Agenda for the March 11, 2025 special meeting of the Plan 27 Commission be approved as presented. Motion carried – All ayes. 28 29 Agenda Item No. 3: Comments, correspondence and concerns from the public: 30 Bhirdo asked if anyone would like to comment regarding a non-agenda item. No one responded. 31 32 Agenda Item No. 4. Pubic Hearing/Action as Appropriate: 33  Updated 20-Year Comprehensive Plan: 34 At 5:31 P.M. Bhirdo called the Public Hearing on the updated 20 Year Comprehensive Plan for the Village of 35 Sister Bay to order. 36 37 Schmelzer explained that a draft of the updated 20 Year Comprehensive Plan for the Village of Sister Bay had 38 been included in the digital packets for this meeting, and she also noted that a related Public Hearing Notice 39 had been published, posted and mailed to all property owners in the Village. She then read the Public Hearing 40 Notice aloud, and also noted that letters that were received from Paul Grossmann of 10870 N. Bay Shore Drive, 41 Attorney Timothy McCoy of Godrey-Kahn, S.C., and Mary Deviley were included in the digital packets for this 42 meeting. 43  In his letter Mr. Grossmann states that he believes there are too many rules of 44 governance that impede the growth of Sister Bay as a community. 45  In his letter Attorney McCoy indicates that he represents Barbara Hull, who collectively 46 owns and controls approximately seven parcels of land that comprise approximately  Minutes for the March 11, 2025 Meeting of the Plan Commission 1 76 acres of developable land within the Village limits. Ms. Hull’s property is the single 2 largest tract of land that is capable of being developed within the Village, and 3 according to Attorney McCoy she is very disappointed that Village officials have never 4 met with her or communicated with her in any other fashion regarding the potential 5 development of any of her property. She is currently contemplating selling her 6 property, and believes the Village’s persistent failure to meaningfully engage with her, 7 coupled with the fact that public discussions will be taking place regarding what should 8 actually be done with her property is “counterproductive”. Therefore, she is inviting 9 Village officials to consider having a candid discussion(s) with her regarding this issue 10 soon. 11  Ms. Deviley indicates that she and her family reside at 10438 Orchard Drive on the old 12 Vactionland Farm/Carole’s Corral that was owned by Willard Kramer for many years. 13 Collectively they own 40 acres of property that is zoned CS-1, approximately 6 acres of 14 property that is zoned B-1 – Commercial, and 10 acres of land that is zoned R-2 – 15 Multiple Family Residence. Over the last ten years she and her husband have made a 16 number of renovations to the farmhouse, the barn, the garage, and other outbuildings 17 on their property, and they have also planted trees, they have a large garden, and raise 18 chickens, and in light of that fact they are requesting that the zoning for their farm 19 remain CS-1. They also are requesting that the B-1 designation for a portion of their 20 property remain, and that Village officials work with them as they attempt to develop 21 their land that is zoned R-2 into single family and multi-family dwellings. They also are 22 hopeful that Village officials will work with them to find and agree upon the best route 23 for any new walking/bike paths that could impact their property in the future. 24 25 Bhirdo asked if anyone would like to comment regarding the proposed Comprehensive Plan, and Bjorn Johnson 26 indicated that he was appearing on behalf of Al Johnson’s Restaurant and Butik and the Johnson Family. He 27 subsequently presented a copy of Map 7.2 – Future Land Use, that had been included in the draft of the 28 Comprehensive Plan to the Commission members, and then specifically referred to the property that the 29 Johnson Family owns in the downtown area which he described as “the Johnson Mall”. It is his understanding 30 that in October, when the Plan Commission was reviewing a draft of the Future Land Use Map, the decision had 31 been made that all of “the Johnson Mall” should be depicted as “Commercial”, but in the draft of the plan that 32 is being reviewed this evening land use designations of “Woodland”, “Residential” and “Natural Area” are 33 depicted for portions of that land. Mr. Johnson and his family would prefer that the Future Land Use Map once 34 again depict that all their property has been designated “Commercial”. 35 36 It was the consensus that the majority of the designated future use of all the property that Mr. Johnson 37 referred to shall revert to “Commercial”, but that the “Natural Area” designation shall remain. 38 39 Nick Deviley reiterated the comments that had been made by his wife, Mary, in the previously mentioned letter, 40 and asked what ”the plan” actually is for increasing residential uses in the Village. Bhirdo responded that to her 41 knowledge there really have not been any conversations regarding projected population growth in the Village 42 yet. In conclusion Mr. Deviley stressed that if at all possible he and Mary would like their farm “to be left alone” 43 as they want their children and grandchildren to be able to enjoy it for years to come. 44 45 Discussion took place regarding Mr. and Mrs. Deviley’s concerns, and it was eventually the consensus that 46 their wishes for the future use designations for their property shall be honored. Therefore, the requested 47 amendments to the Future Land Use Map shall be made. 48 -2-  Minutes for the March 11, 2025 Meeting of the Plan Commission 1 Louise Howson indicated that there is a notation in the plan that in order to accommodate future growth some 2 of the designations for the woodlands in the area where the Little Sister Resort used to be located as well as the 3 natural areas within Bay Ridge Golf Course have been changed to “Residential”. She expressed concerns that 4 there is potential for a large amount of open land and/or natural areas to be disturbed if housing is created in 5 the stated areas, and also pointed out that the golf course property is currently not being maintained and is 6 gradually “growing in”. Before Village officials formally re-zone any of the previously mentioned property, she 7 believes the owners of the affected parcels must be asked what they actually want to do with their property. 8 9 Schmelzer responded that before any property is re-zoned a public hearing is required. She also noted that 10 Village officials must see that a related Public Hearing Notice is sent to any and all affected property owners 11 as well as adjoining property owners. 12 13 Don Howard of 2536 Fieldcrest Lane indicated that he has had conversations with Diane Trenchard and her 14 son, who is now the owner of Bay Ridge Golf Course, and it is his understanding that they both want to leave 15 the property in its current state for as long as they own it. 16 17 Discussion took place regarding Howson’s concerns, and it was eventually the consensus that the property 18 that she referred to shall be designated as “Natural Areas” on the Future Land Use Map. 19 20 Steve Musinsky of 10519 Fieldcrest Road noted that when he and his wife bought their property a former Village 21 Administrator informed him that the Village had anticipated that at some point in time a portion of their 22 property would be heavily wooded. He and his wife did not want to see a lot of evergreens or hardwood trees 23 on their property, and, instead, they decided to plant a few fruit trees and left the remainder of their property 24 as open space. In conclusion Mr. Musinsky indicated that the Future Land Use Map that was included in the 25 Comprehensive Plan now actually depicts “Woodlands” on a portion of his property. To be perfectly honest 26 neither he nor his wife have any desire to remove any of their fruit trees or plant any more trees on their property 27 as they like having open space. 28 29 Schmelzer responded that the “Woodlands” designation on the Future Land Use Map merely means that the 30 Village’s goal is to have the property become heavily wooded “at some point in time”. She also indicated 31 that unless and until Mr. and Mrs. Musinsky decide to do something different with their property the fruit 32 trees should be allowed to remain and it won’t be necessary for them to plant any more trees. 33 34 Don Howard stated that in spite of the fact that all the property around his residence is shown as “Woodlands” 35 on the Future Land Use Map, his property has been designated “Residential”, and asked if there is potential for 36 Village officials to require that his property must revert to woodlands at some point in time. He then explained 37 that he is asking this question because he and his wife plan to leave their home and the adjoining property to 38 their children and grandchildren. 39 40 Schmelzer reiterated that the “Woodlands” designation on the Future Land Use Map merely means that the 41 Village’s goal is to have the property become heavily wooded at some point in time. If Mr. and Mrs. Howard’s 42 children continue to maintain their property as well as the home and other outbuildings that are constructed 43 upon it there shouldn’t be any issues. 44 45 John Wettstein indicated that he owns a unit in Hidden Maples Condos. It is his understanding that a portion of 46 Applewood Road is actually owned by the Condo Association, and, therefore, he asked if there are any plans for 47 construction of a trail in that area of the Village. He then referred to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Network Map -3-  Minutes for the March 11, 2025 Meeting of the Plan Commission 1 that appears in the draft of the Comprehensive Plan, and expressed concerns that a future trail could negatively 2 impact some of the tree plantings that the Condo Association did in the right-of-way along Applewood Road. 3 4 Schmelzer responded that if, at any point in time, Village officials decide that a trail should actually be 5 created on any of the property that is owned by the Condo Association, before any of the related work 6 commences notice would be mailed to all the unit owners, representatives of the Hidden Maples Condo 7 Association, and the adjoining property owners. Any or all of those individuals, as well as representatives of 8 the Condo Association will be encouraged to contact the Village Administrator or send a related letter to the 9 Plan Commission if they have any questions or concerns about the proposed trail. 10 11 Mr. Musinsky started to read a portion of a prepared statement that addresses potential grammatical revisions 12 he believes should be made to the draft of the Comprehensive Plan aloud, and he also voiced several concerns 13 about some of the provisions of the draft Comprehensive Plan. Because the statement was quite lengthy Bhirdo 14 requested that he provide a copy of that document to Schmelzer and Suppanz so that it can be included in “the 15 official record”, and he complied with that request. A copy of Mr. Musinsky’s statement is hereby attached and 16 incorporated by reference, and Schmelzer indicated that she will see that a copy of it is provided to the 17 Commission members in as timely a fashion as possible. 18 19 John Mc Murray of 10638 Forest Lane asked if a traffic study has ever been conducted in the Village, and the 20 Commission members responded that to their knowledge, because of cost considerations, such a study has 21 never actually been conducted. (Bell and Bhirdo noted that at one point staff members did see that a “traffic 22 counter” was installed at the base of “the Sister Bay Hill” during “the season”, and they also noted that the data 23 that was collected was reviewed by the members of the Parks, Property & Streets Committee. Bhirdo stressed 24 that the “traffic counter” data is far less complex than the data that would be included in an actual “traffic 25 study”.) Mr. Mc Murray responded that in spite of cost considerations he believes the Plan Commission has a 26 duty to “look forward”, and should recommend that an actual “traffic study” be conducted “sooner rather than 27 later”. 28 29 Michelle Lawrie of the DCEDC indicated that she realizes there are some things that are unique to Sister Bay, 30 but she also pointed out that work is progressing on Door County’s Strategic Plan, and she and the other 31 employees from the DCEDC would happy to provide any data that is requested by the Plan Commission or Ms. 32 Swan and her associates. The Commission members thanked Ms. Lawrie for taking the time to attend this 33 meeting, and they also indicated that they appreciate her offer. 34 35 Howson referred to the section of the Comprehensive Plan that pertains to short-term rentals, and suggested 36 that the term “rentable nights” rather than “rentable units” be used. She also acknowledged that the Tourism 37 Zone statistics can be quite confusing, and suggested that if Ms. Swan and her associates have any questions 38 regarding the room tax statistics for the Village they contact the employees in the Door County Tourism Zone 39 Commission Office. 40 41 At 7:05 P.M. Bhirdo asked if anyone else would like to comment regarding the draft of the Village’s 20 Year 42 Comprehensive Plan, and when no one responded she declared that the Public Hearing was officially closed. 43 44 The Commission members jointly reviewed the previously mentioned draft, and during that time Bhirdo pointed 45 out several typographical and/or grammatical errors. Schmelzer and Suppanz took note of all the suggested 46 revisions. 47 -4-  Minutes for the March 11, 2025 Meeting of the Plan Commission 1 Since timing is of the essence, Schmelzer indicated that she will see that the revised version of the draft of the 2 Comprehensive Plan as well as a draft Resolution are included in the digital packets for the next meeting of the 3 Commission so that a related referral can be made to the Village Board at their next regular monthly meeting 4 that has been scheduled for 6:00 P.M. on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. 5 6 Agenda Item No. 5. Matters To Be Placed on a Future Agenda or Referred to a Committee, Official or 7 Employee: 8 Agenda Item No. 6. Next Meeting: 9 Due to scheduling conflicts the next regular monthly meeting of the Plan Commission has been rescheduled 10 for 5:30 P.M. on Tuesday, March 18, 2025. 11 At that meeting the following issues will be addressed: 12  Discussion regarding the Village’s R-4 Zoning District regulations 13  Discussion regarding the Village’s Dark Sky regulations 14  Discussion regarding “building height averaging” regulations 15  Review of the draft Resolution that approves the Village’s 20 Year Comprehensive Plan 16 17 Agenda Item No. 9. Adjournment: 18 At 7:35 P.M. a motion was made by Kane, seconded by Champeau that the March 11, 2025 special meeting 19 of the Plan Commission be adjourned. Motion carried – All ayes. 20 21 Respectfully submitted, 22 23 Janal Suppanz, 24 Administrative Assistant 25 A:\1. 2025 Agendas\Plan Commission\3. March\March 11 PH\031125 Plan Commission Meeting Minutes - Approved Version.docx Created by Janal Suppanz on 03/11/2025; Last Printed: 4/3/2025 3:50 PM -5-