Light agenda for Minocqua plan commission

The Minocqua plan commission, meeting for a little more than 10 minutes Tuesday, made quick work of signage applications for two businesses and two administrative review permit (ARP) applications related to tourist rooming houses. 

The first item was an application from Minocqua Brewing Company owner Kirk Bangstad to have an 18.4 square foot sign mounted to the front of what will be the new location for the Minocqua Brewing Company at 329 East Front Street. 

Plan commission member Tom Church noted some items in the drawing he and the rest of the group were looking at, items that Carla Blankenship with the Minocqua office of the Oneida County planning and zoning department indicated were signs for the business the county had yet to receive applications for. 

The plan commission also approved two sign permit applications for the new Nicolet Bank building at 625 Chippewa Street. 

One of the signs will be a 31.25 square foot sign mounted to the building and the other, a 54.28 square foot free standing sign that will include an electronic reader board. 

Rooming house ARPs
The first of the two ARP applications to use homes as tourist rooming houses for less than seven days approved was for a home commission chairman Mark Hartzheim said was just off County Highway J on North Shore Lane and in an area zoned for single family use, which is the reason commission member Phil Albert voted against the application as he has historically. 

The second ARP was for a home on Doolittle Road and again, zoned as single family.

Albert voted against that ARP as did commission member Joe Hegge, who had a concern regarding the availability of a manager should one be needed. 

“My objection is we again have a property with a mailing address in Marshfield, a physical address it says here,” he said. “What assurances do we have that while the property is rented, that agent will be here? They obviously live in two places.”

Commission member Mark Pertile pointed out the applicants, Heather and Jacob Konieczny, with a Minocqua mailing address on Gunlock Lake Road, would be renting the house when they’re in Minocqua and not Marshfield. 

Hegge acknowledged Pertile’s point and said he’d like to see the people applying for the permits at the meetings “so we can at least get them to commit to the fact that the agent will be in residence at that time.”

“I hear ya,” Hartzheim said to Hegge. “We have the resident’s name and phone (number) and email and a local, physical address should this pose a problem. If any of this proves not to be the case or leads to some concern or issue, we can certainly take action on the license.”

“Again, that’s why we like to have them here,” Hegge said. “So we can ask those questions.”

Brian Jopek may be reached via email at [email protected]