2022 ANNUAL REPORT

Town of Clover Plan Commission

 

The Town Plan Commission (TPC) is a five member Town Board appointed advisory commission.  Members and term expiration dates are Pete Berton, April 2023; Chris Lehnert (vice-chair), April 2024; James Stemwedel, April 2025; Beverly Steele (Town Board representative), April 2023; and Keith Koenning (chair), April 2024.

The TPC’s primary responsibility is to ensure that land use decisions in the Town of Clover are informed by an opinion from the TPC to the Town Board on the consistency of the proposed land use with the Comprehensive Plan that was developed by a committee of residents and non-resident landowners and adopted by the Town of Clover in 2003 and revised in 2013.

The TPC has a standing meeting date of the first Tuesday of each month at 7 pm in the Gym.  If no business has been referred to the TPC by the Town Board, the monthly meeting is cancelled.  Special meetings are held when the deadlines of a particular item of business dictate the need for a TPC meeting.  Agendas and minutes are on the Town’s web site, herbsterwisconsin.com.

In 2022 the TPC held seven (compared to two held in 2020 and five in 2021) regular meetings. The TPC provided advisory opinions to the Town Board on eleven (five in 2020 and ten in 2021) permit applications as follows:  Class A, grading within 1,000 feet of Lake Superior (four permits) Class A, one short-term rental unit (five permits); Conditional Use, three RVs on undeveloped A-1; Conditional Use, more than three RVs on developed A-1.

The preparation of the 2023-2043 Comprehensive Plan and Future Land Use Map for the Town of Clover is underway and will replace the current 2003-2023 Plan.  The Town in Resolution 20211013-1 authorized the TPC to cooperate with Bayfield County, the Northwest Regional Planning Commission, and the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program in preparation of the Plan.  The Town received a Wisconsin Coastal Management Program grant to assist with the cost of the project.  A Town population increase of 17% between 2010 and 2020, and a 29% housing price increase in 2021, are indicators of changes affecting the Town, and support the need for the 2023-2043 Comprehensive Plan.

A special TPC meeting was held on a Saturday morning to introduce the 2023-2043 Comprehensive Plan and Future Land Use Map project.  Nineteen persons attended.  After this meeting a Comprehensive Plan Committee (CPC) was formed.  The CPC consists of the chair, Erik Felt, and four work groups of community members.  During the last half of 2022 work group members have conducted interviews and research on the elements the Plan.  Complete information about the project is posted on the Town’s website.

 

 

Prepared by Keith Koenning, January 2, 2023