gaylordhub.com

Sibley County’s Comprehensive Plan, which is seen as a guide for future growth, was unanimously approved by the County Board of Commissioners last week.

Dan Jochum of SEH, who was contracted to write the plan, spent more than a year seeking public input on various issues. The plan includes background information, population information, purpose of the plan, public process, land use, transportation, parks, trails and open space, and maps of natural resources. The plan is 120 pages of text.

Several changes are also proposed to the County zoning ordinance under the land use section. These changes include the cluster subdivision option, which would allow cluster development on the eastern portion of the County, when the crop equivalency rating is below 57; the transfer of building eligibilities from a 40 acre piece of property to a minimum five acre lot for a new home; and the building of residential structure by right and not requiring a conditional use permit, but rather obtaining an over-the-counter permit as long as requirements are met.

Roger Just of Kelso Township expressed concern about the plan. “I feel that we lose some local control,” he said. Just also felt that potential growth around all of the cities should have been identified. “Planning and Zoning and the County Board will need to be more vigilant,” he said.

Jochum said that he met with each of the cities to get their growth areas. He also felt that policies would be more managed with cluster development.

County Attorney Dave Schauer said that for the townships that have their own planning and zoning, the township regulations must be at least as restrictive or more restrictive than the county regulation.

Cynthia Smith-Strack, consultant planner for the City of Arlington, expressed her support for the County’s comprehensive plan. “Overall, it is great plan and a great start,” she commented.

Now that the comprehensive plan has been adopted, the next step for the County will be to make the recommended changes to the zoning ordinance.