Board approves garage variance for Rosewood Avenue property, conditions 25% impervious limit

The Wright County Board of Adjustment voted 4–1 on April 24 to allow a 26-by-28-foot storage building at 7161 Rosewood Ave NW to be placed closer to the road than county rules permit and to exceed the county’s sidewall height limit.

Planner Aaron Ogle told the board the proposed building would stand about 17.3 feet from the right-of-way (roughly 26 feet from the road centerline), have an 18-foot sidewall where county code limits sidewalls to 14 feet, and — based on office calculations — initially appeared to raise impervious surface coverage to 30.2%. Ogle said the office’s adjusted calculation, which excludes a portion of road area used by multiple properties, was about 28.5%; the applicant’s surveyor reported 25.6%.

Owner Brett Bludorn and property owner Randy Brandel explained the structure is sized to match the house roofline, provide modest overhead storage and shelter vehicles; Brandel said he plans to shrink the driveway and remove some existing impervious area. Neighbor Joyce Sandell said the single-lane road near the property becomes soft after rain and expressed concern about placing a building close to the road.

Board member Dan Mol said he could support the setback and sidewall variance provided impervious coverage is reduced to 25 percent, and other members echoed that condition. Member Bob Neumann opposed the motion, urging the board to consider moving the garage to the area of existing sheds or attaching it to the home. The board adopted a motion by Dan Vick, seconded by Mol, and amended to require that impervious coverage not exceed 25% within one year of building final approval and that the applicant submit a stormwater management plan. The motion carried with Mol, Vick, Chairman Paul Aarestad and Bruce Maue voting yes and Neumann voting no.

The approval was recorded with site plan Exhibit A and building plans Exhibit B as conditions of the motion. The board meeting minutes note the Township approved the proposed setbacks and sidewall height but did not approve the impervious coverage increase.