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By Clay Schuldt
Staff Writer
NEW ULM -- The City Council Tuesday appointed Interim City Engineer Joe Stadheim city engineer, effective Nov. 4. Stadheim has been the interim since May 31 and was the assistant city engineer since Jan. 2, 2007. No initial probation period is needed as he has served in the interim capacity.
Stadheim thanked the council for the opportunity to serve the City of New Ulm in a new role.
The council also approved the appointment of Interim Public Works Superintendent Jeff Hoffmann to Public Works superintendent. Hoffmann has served as the interim superintendent since July 1 and has been the assistant Public Works superintendent since April 20, 2014. No probationary period is needed as Hoffmann has been serving in the interim since July.
Hoffmann thanked the council and said he enjoys working for the city.
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A conditional use permit (CUP) was approved for Jill Peterson's home occupation hair salon at 29 Circuit Dr. Home occupations are allowed with a permit. Since 1977 the city has approved 15 CUPs for hair and beauty salons. Staff recommended approval due to a limited amount of traffic generated by the business, adequate off-street parking and the previous CUPs approved for this purpose.
A side-yard variance request from M & D Properties, LLC, was approved for the construction of two storage building condominiums at 323 N. 19th St. The approval required a common party firewall to be constructed along the common walls of each unit.
An application from Rodney and Bonnie Roebbeke for a variance to reduce the front yard setback from 30 feet to 17 feet was approved. The application would allow the construction of a 20-foot by 26-foot attached garage at 1213 Hauenstein Dr. The staff and council recommended approval due to the unique nature of the property. Its location at a street intersection gives it three front-yard setbacks.
A petition from Bev Luneburg of Luneburg Enterprises was approved to rezone 1601-1627 S. German St. from High-Density Residential (R-3) to Medium Density Industrial (I-2). Staff recommended approval because the property abuts two industrially zoned areas. The property was formally zoned as Industrial but was changed in 1975 to Residential. The land is currently undeveloped, suggesting the current zoning does not fit.