Marquette County board approves special exception for accountant’s home-based business with owner-only condition

The Marquette County Board of Adjustment voted to approve a special-exception permit for Lindsay Davis to operate bookkeeping, accounting and tax services from a portable building on her property at N 109 Fox River Road in the Town of Buffalo.

Chair Mary Walters opened the hearing and read the application materials before the applicant described the work. Davis told the board she “was not at all aware of the need for a zoning permit” when she placed the portable structure and said she has since paid a penalty and hired professionals to prepare the site and finish the building’s interior. “I own and operate my business out of this building,” she said, adding she expects limited evening clientele.

A local resident, Dave Burke, said he was “not necessarily opposed” but urged the board to be consistent in how similar applications are handled and asked whether the building would be assessed as commercial. Burke said the town had previously denied a similar request and said: “We took great pride in our ordinances and how we stood for transparency, consistency, and honesty.”

Zoning staff and board members responded that property assessment is handled separately from the board’s permitting role. Jean, zoning staff, cited the appeal process under Wisconsin Statutes 59.694 and explained procedural timelines for filing appeals. Chair Walters reiterated that the board’s responsibility is to interpret the county zoning ordinance and determine whether a proposed home-based use is compatible with surrounding properties.

During deliberations board members noted the site met setbacks described in the application packet, that the structure’s scale and appearance were consistent with nearby uses, and that expected foot traffic would be low. One member cautioned about sign placement near a busy corner and staff advised sign setbacks vary by roadway and right-of-way placement.

Chair Walters moved to attach a condition specifying that the special-exception permit would stay with the current applicant and would not automatically transfer with the property; another member seconded. The board approved the condition and carried the motion by voice vote. The board then indicated it would approve the special-exception permit with that condition.

The hearing record includes the applicant’s description of contractors used (Martin Portable Buildings for delivery; electrician and HVAC contractors for internal systems) and a parcel identifier included in the packet (Parcel 002011710000). The board closed the hearing after taking evidence and affirmed the permit is allowed under Marquette County’s chapter 62 zoning criteria for home-based businesses, subject to the owner-specific condition.

The board also approved the minutes of its Oct. 24, 2025 meeting earlier in the session. The board discussed scheduling for future meetings and noted that additional applications would determine whether a March meeting would be necessary.