By Gail Peckler-Dziki~Correspondent
About a dozen neighbors attended the Aug. 23 Randall Planning Commission/Board meeting to hear about a storage concept similar to the self storage in Winnipeg, with a suggested size of 31 acres located on 1225th Street.
The parcel is currently owned by David Laurine. He has plans to sell it to Steve Zandrowitz.
Zandrowitz is planning to turn the barn located on the parcel into a home for his parents. “My plan is to bring my family together and use the property to create income to support my family,” he explained.
Plan Commission Chairman Charlie Gitzinger was concerned about having two residences on one parcel. Zandrowitz said he checked with the county and discovered that if the two were for the same family, it was allowable.
“The way the barn and home are situated,” he said, “there are two acres with the barn that can be split into a separate parcel if that needs to be done in the future.”
Town Chairman Bob Stoll reminded the board and commission that this was a meeting to look at the concept plan and give guidance before the project came for formal approval.
“We are here to hear find out what the concerns from neighbors, the commission and the board might be.”
Bruce Peterson, a next door neighbor said, “We have been here for 18 years and seen many renters. It would be good to see someone permanent.”
He was, however, concerned about a possible increase in traffic to a storage facility and that storage buildings could be an eyesore, suggesting that they get their personal portable storage buildings for their homes.
Annette Laurine was present as her father’s representative and explained that the storage would be for boats and recreational vehicles (RVs). “The boats and RVs would be brought to storage and kept there for the season they are not in use. There would not be random in and out traffic.”
Zandrowitz said that renters would make appointments to drop off and pick up their vehicles. Stoll commented that set hours of operation would need to be finished before coming before the plan commission again.
The storage facility would be phased in, according to Zandrowitz. The first type would be outside storage, placed at the back of the property and away from the sight of the road and neighbors. “We are willing, when it’s needed, to put berms with landscaping or fences to screen any storage from view of the neighbors and road.” This is a courteous plan that is often used by those using the rent to own storage buildings system and has benefits for the neighborhood.
Other neighbors were concerned about resale property value and little. Stoll commented that since this was vehicle storage and not a place where renters would drop off all their worldly goods, little should not be a problem.
“This use, commercial, also fits into our long-range use plan,” he said. “This venture is also subject to a Kenosha County conditional use permit, where everything is spelled out. Any changes would come before this plan commission and town board as well as Kenosha County.”
Town garage storage of county buses
The Western Kenosha County Transit System stores two busses in the former Randall Fire Department building, next to the town hall.
Supervisor Bob Gehring repeatedly stated that he believes the transit system ought to pay the town for renting the space. He has said, on numerous occasions, that the town should ask for $100 a month, especially if they have to do any repairs to the garage space, such as renovating the floor with garage floor coating and other similar to renovations. The board tasked Gehring with finding a basis to support any amount.
Gehring asked the board what they wanted, “Do you want heat, lights, water?” he asked.
Stoll said that there was no water to the building.
Gehring had no figures for the utilities used for that building. It was also pointed out that the town keeps the enforcement car there along with a kennel for lost dogs.
“So the utilities used are not just for the busses,” Stoll said.
More roadwork planned, no parking signs
Randall is planning to use the balance of its borrowed road funds to crack seal Randall Farms subdivision and 101st Street by the golf course. The road committee is in process of getting estimates for the cul-de-sacs in Ridgeway.
Residents of Jefferson Island in Powers Lake will need to find a new place to park their boats and trailers.
No parking signs will be posted along 92nd Street soon. The board is looking at the road to see where the signs should start and stop.