2024 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 2026; Katherine Merrill, April 2027; James Stemwedel, April 2025; Beverly Steele (Town Board representative), April 2025; and Keith Koenning (chair), April 2027. This year Chris Lehnert stepped aside after serving for 9 years including four years as vice-chair.

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 Town’s Comprehensive Plan and Future Land Use Map.

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 2024 the TPC held three (compared to two held in 2020, five in 2021, seven in 2022, and seven in 2023) regular meetings. The TPC provided advisory opinions to the Town Board on three (five in 2020, ten in 2021, eleven in 2022, and twelve in 2023) permit applications as follows:  Class A, grading within 1,000 feet of Lake Superior (one permit for a walking trail by the Town of Clover); Class A for RV Placement (one permit); Conditional Use for Storage Container (one permit).

Bayfield County amended the zoning ordinance regulating short-term rentals (STRs) and as of July 2024 a Class A permit is no longer a requirement.  The Class A permit, which included a recommendation from the Town to the County, has been replaced by an administrative permit issued by the Planning and Zoning Department.  The Town of Clover STR license requirement (recommended by the TPC to the Town in 2020) remains in place.  The County and Town may impose reasonable conditions on a permit or license but cannot deny same (Wisconsin law allows STRs as a private property right) except for cause such as failure to follow conditions or disturbing the peace.  The TPC made advisory opinions and condition recommendations on 21 STR permit applications during the previous seven years prior to this change in the zoning ordinance.

The 2023-2043 Town of Clover Comprehensive Plan and Future Land Use Map (copies are available from the Town Office and are posted on the County Planning and Zoning Department website) requires the TPC on an annual basis to review the 30 recommendations in the Plan.  This was accomplished at the November TPC meeting and the results of the review are in the minutes of the meeting and are posted on the Town’s website.

 

Prepared by Keith Koenning, December 31, 2024