NEW ULM — The Brown County Planning & Zoning Commission unanimously approved several proposed zoning ordinance revisions Tuesday.

Action came on a motion by commissioner John Rolloff, seconded by commissioner Anita Mohr to remove language requiring a 5-year waiting period for building.

“The waiting period was a burden for people who wanted to build for legitimate reasons. I think it caused more harm than good,” said Brown County Zoning Administrator Laine Sletta.

New ordinance requirements include certifying that all agricultural buildings comply with the planning of future road construction, information furnished by the Brown County Highway Engineer.

A permit issued by the Brown County Zoning Administrator or their designees, in conformity with ordinance provisions shall be secured prior to the erection, addition, modification and rehabilitation (including normal maintenance and repair) or alteration of any building, structure or portion of it.

The proposed revisions will be considered by the county board at 10 a.m., Tuesday, Dec. 17.

Commissioners also approved:

• Moving seasonal produce stands from conditional uses to allowed uses in the A-1 Zone.

• Removing language about no farmstead side yards requirements to requiring a sideyard of not less than 10 feet on each side of a building.

• Removing bluff setback exemptions. Minimum top of bluff setbacks would be 50 feet for non-eroding bluffs and 100 feet for actively eroding bluffs.

• Updating a maximum gross area for accessory buildings in the R-1 Zone. In residential districts, no accessory building would be located nearer to the front lot line than the principal building on the lot. No accessory building shall exceed the height of the principal building. When accessory buildings are oriented so as to face a public street, they shall not be less than 20 feet from the front line.

• Removing language about no accessory building without a primary structure. Accessory buildings shall be considered an integral part of the principal building is they are located less than 6 feet from it.

Accessory buildings on lake or stream frontage lots may be located between a public road and principal structure if it is clearly demonstrated that physical conditions require such a location. In no event shall the structure be located closer than the minimum setback to the public road right-of-way.

• A final plat application by Mark Bastian on property owned by Mark Bastian and Stanley W. Bastian Revocable Trust known as Bastian Fourth Subdivision on 9.46 acres in Section 8, Cottonwood Township to expand Lot 1, Block 1, 3rd Addition, all in the A-1 Zone.

Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@nujournal.com.