[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6192575,"mediaKeyId","4074615-82c85e8099f5ec597777df3849c63809","parentId",4074615,"title","Zoning agency approves small meat-packing/market at Nedesheim farm amid strong city opposition","audioSeconds",2087,"startMs",5058000,"endMs",7145000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=4074615-82c85e8099f5ec597777df3849c63809&start=5058&end=7145","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/4074615-82c85e8099f5ec597777df3849c63809/thumbnail_5058000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6192575/Walworth-County/Wisconsin/Zoning-agency-approves-small-meat-packingmarket-at-Nedesheim-farm-amid-strong-city-opposition","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6192575-0ea8bc3c3c3742c9da53eb313a18ce5b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770434287&Signature=orn4iujtqAWcwjWBjdYA4hVwl9g109ropPgeMQTOlsbHd6B1U2xtprzE~fPnKO3Xz2E85D4E7h2eUKzhTKnl-pSgKZZ7Co5su--6OdcNbe6FaFDq6aSWQrhvthcixF0F0PD~uZqnC3OnpK7FGbKAiw0TkK~17-MRY5oDLExuxnp3c22EPt~CMobeV0ms5Pn4adahzRalavc6roe4GUadtrChdKPyO-4jBkWqfIFw7nuwRY1Tsbv5YEruOeg2Y85dMh3bxfVpXP0VLIo1Je-u8PF1d-HlQTyQL2QDiYXwHcqUJ1rQNEBOGkqClem-EDwnR6TPcoloUcQYAn67HKv1Ug__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","WI / Walworth County ","date","2025-06-19T00:00:00Z","article","Walworth County’s Zoning Agency approved a request from the Lawrence Nedesheim Trust on June 19 to rezone and to issue a conditional-use permit to allow meat-processing and retail sales on a portion of the family’s property in Section 25, Sugar Creek Township.

Attorney Chad Pollard, representing the applicant, framed the proposal as a small meat market and processing facility intended to serve local producers and customers; he said the project is not a large industrial slaughterhouse. \"This is not a slaughterhouse,\" Pollard told the agency, describing the plan as a locally focused meat market with on-site processing. Pollard also said the applicant had obtained a $1,380,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture grant and $25,000 in state funding and that the proposal would create about 20 jobs.

County staff summarized the request as a rezoning of about 3.79 acres from A1 Prime Agricultural Land to A4 Agricultural-Related Manufacturing, Warehousing and Marketing District in order to allow operations including meat packing, processing of animal fats, feed preparation, poultry dressing and retail sales. Staff’s report described the proposed building footprint and operational hours and noted the town’s recommended conditions on stormwater, maintenance agreements and survey/CSM requirements.

The City of Elkhorn presented a formal resolution urging denial. City Administrator Adam Swan said city councilors were concerned about noise, odors, heavy truck traffic on Voss Road and the project’s proximity to existing and planned residential subdivisions; he told the agency the city’s review suggested the proposal could undermine the viability of an attainable‑housing development proposed nearby. \"The council urge[d] the county zoning agency to deny the CUP application and the rezoning application,\" Swan said on the record.

City staff also identified infrastructure concerns: Matt Lindstrom, Elkhorn director of public works, flagged the fact that Market Street and the stretch of Voss Road in front of the property are city-maintained and questioned whether the roads and future right-of-way would accommodate the anticipated truck movements. Allison Schwerk, Elkhorn zoning administrator, walked the agency through proposed mitigation measures the city requested if the county were to approve the use, including buffer zones, architectural design controls, fire access, lighting restrictions, limited processing hours, and traffic management.

A substantial and sustained public comment period followed, with many neighbors and residents speaking both in favor and in opposition. Supporters—largely neighbors, farmers and local small-business advocates—told the commission the facility would fill a local need for timely processing, preserve a multigenerational farm, and add a locally sourced retail outlet. Opponents, many of them living immediately across Voss Road in a residential subdivision, objected to proximity, truck traffic and wetland/stormwater impacts; several speakers said animals have escaped existing fields and said retention ponds and culverts on and near the site are already at or near capacity following recent heavy rain.

County staff and the applicant addressed technical issues in Q&A: staff noted the site would be served by private well and septic; the applicant said harvesting would mostly occur on weekdays subject to USDA inspector availability and that retail hours would be standard daytime hours. The applicant’s engineer and surveyor described proposed access, septic and stormwater features and noted the town of Sugar Creek had approved the plan at the town level (staff read that town approval into the record). The applicant asked the agency to remove condition #21 (a town request regarding a finalized CSM) and the agency discussion addressed that request.

After discussion, Zoning Agency member Dennis (Carnes) made a motion to approve the rezoning and conditional use consistent with county staff conditions but excluding condition 21; the motion was seconded and carried. The transcript records the motion carried on the county record. The minutes show substantial opposition from the City of Elkhorn and many nearby residents, and the county’s decision will appear on the county board agenda per the regular referral process.

Why it matters: the decision allows an agricultural property to add an on-site meat-processing and retail operation that the applicant says will serve local farmers and create jobs, while also crystallizing a long-standing planning conflict between the town of Sugar Creek and the City of Elkhorn over future land use at the city/town edge. The City of Elkhorn provided a formal resolution opposing the project and requested a series of mitigation measures should the county approve the use.

Implementation notes: the applicant must meet county and town conditions on stormwater, maintenance agreements, final survey and building permits; additional state or federal permits (USDA inspection and other food‑safety requirements) will be required before processing can commence.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Walworth County Zoning Agency - June 19, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Walworth County’s Zoning Agency on June 19 approved a rezone and conditional-use permit allowing the Lawrence Nedesheim Trust to operate a meat-processing facility and retail market on part of its Sugar Creek Township property, despite a formal resolution of opposition from the City of Elkhorn.","taxTitle","Walworth County, Wisconsin","taxId",54224,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6192581,"Zoning agency approves 6 MW Dessler Farm solar array; project to include vegetative screening and decommissioning plan",1739,1437000,3176000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=4074615-82c85e8099f5ec597777df3849c63809&start=1437&end=3176","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/4074615-82c85e8099f5ec597777df3849c63809/thumbnail_1437000.jpg","/articles/6192581/Walworth-County/Wisconsin/Zoning-agency-approves-6-MW-Dessler-Farm-solar-array-project-to-include-vegetative-screening-and-decommissioning-plan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6192581-15bd112e2bbcea81c7f95bf04d59a67e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770434287&Signature=jFZzw76TBb6b6~REOd~kI9xBmCHZKpuc3gmlTvttqZcbvB0Cgq8~GKi4DDlRTcmfwMzFuuesjCxKuLwBasDLdVST4HK7y5zeV5gePgsiRBojjI5bsCZ6J8HlPXOPqvQR56M8mP0dCcX8Lrxig8O4MkHpd9k1L9UDAtSzstF7puQ0otrouO5EkoWAHFSfWNcaXdwz4vT0uz1de7MajQ-enp~V8CYZfquujRuVHVSAHqr0~qsDDk~R9mnblE4rqNiDGSB5gw389RMAy-oqXF3tsLo2SIVBWLnupefA8XvT0zUiLXTd3XTqsx8ZSFfI4ECUrJ65VA2rtB3NoqSWVC0XgA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Walworth County’s Zoning Agency on June 19 approved a conditional-use permit for a 6-megawatt solar array to be sited on about 32 acres of a 52.5-acre field owned by Dessler Farm LP in Section 21, Horry Township. The applicant listed on the record is 1 Energy Renewables.

County staff presented aerial overlays and drone footage showing the proposed array footprint, access from Highway 20, and the applicant’s planned vegetative screening. Nolan Stumpf, representing 1 Energy, told the agency the proposed vegetative screen is a row of deciduous shrubs that, when mature, will be approximately 8 to 16 feet tall and that panels will sit roughly 6 to 9 feet above grade depending on topography.

The project’s permit application includes a vegetation management plan to maintain the ground cover and prevent shading of panels; Stumpf said the site will be mowed once or twice per year (sometimes a third cut depending on conditions) and that native cover crops and prairie plantings will be used to establish a stable groundcover. \"Keeping the vegetation from shading the panels is one of our highest priorities,\" Stumpf said.

The committee discussed financing, post‑life decommissioning and bonding: staff confirmed the applicant had not posted a county bond, and Stumpf said decommissioning is the project owner’s responsibility and is included in the lease and the decommissioning plan submitted with the permit application. Stumpf also said there is an industry-standard federal investment tax credit (ITC) but no direct federal grant to the project. The agency acknowledged prior conversations about the county’s broader bonding policy but did not require a bond as a condition for this permit.

The record shows the applicant expects the panels to be insured and stated that panels are primarily silicon wafers with a glass cover and are not expected to leach hazardous substances. Stumpf said panels are typically rated for severe hail and have an expected life of roughly 30 years; after the warranty period projects may be decommissioned or repowered.

The agency voted to approve the conditional use. Motion to approve was made by Jim Van Drieser and seconded by Kebalski; the motion carried with one recorded nay.

Why it matters: the project adds local distributed generation capacity and includes planting native screening and an operations plan with vegetation management; the permit also requires a decommissioning plan and places decommissioning responsibility with the project owner, but the committee did not set a county bonding requirement for post‑life cleanup.

Implementation notes: the applicant must satisfy the town’s conditions where applicable, finalize stormwater and maintenance agreements, submit final construction plans for staff review, and comply with any state or utility interconnection requirements before construction.","Walworth County’s Zoning Agency approved a conditional-use permit on June 19 for a 6-megawatt solar array proposed by 1 Energy to cover roughly 32 acres of a 52.5-acre field in Horry Township, including a vegetative screen and a decommissioning plan.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6192586,"Walworth County zoning panel approves marina at Westrod Cottage with storage limit for heavy equipment",1207,157000,1364000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=4074615-82c85e8099f5ec597777df3849c63809&start=157&end=1364","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/4074615-82c85e8099f5ec597777df3849c63809/thumbnail_157000.jpg","/articles/6192586/Walworth-County/Wisconsin/Walworth-County-zoning-panel-approves-marina-at-Westrod-Cottage-with-storage-limit-for-heavy-equipment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6192586-d656b4e042015ecb1ae42deba4b36511/orig.mp4?Expires=1770434287&Signature=jrtkFS1nuMU5KxT91GdCE~NbLj1zqW12wV78nGWH5XnEd21P6UrUoq8BILOxBmCdm4qUy471oL-7XSLHEe8Vchat1aupKEVxXkkcQjiWxQWnmxkcEPnEZuat-qkNBibWijQ1799H4oQqyNgsAtjQbyaEcLNMDhF5YkoUDlyLCTfeL8RlREQXiUQr1WbU4-oE9jECARxwbGxwrFPWIW7W6uaAn8DjPLqaTKM9sljAj5HoiLeYDFYfR8L19oRmwTs5~PfJuR2UAXjBWqCTvIl13Sl8cK7wm1D~yEoiLIBJ5FTVhkEQNxLrTDSnySWAHbb-un1ZV0L6G703plekwxcnvw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Walworth County Zoning Agency on June 19 approved a conditional-use permit allowing Westrod Cottage Industries, cared for by owner John Stoss, to operate a year-round marina on land in Section 18 of East Troy Township.

The vote preserves the town’s conditions but amends one limitation on heavy equipment: rather than a blanket ban on parking or operating forklifts and telehandlers on the property, the agency approved language requiring equipment to be stored in the property’s vehicle-and-equipment parking area and prohibiting operation or storage within the C4 shoreland/wetland strip.

The marina proposal applies to a parcel rezoned to C2 Upland Resource Conservation District. As staff explained, a parcel that was rezoned to C2 retains the conditional and principal uses allowed in the C2 district even if the lot is substandard under current lot-size rules. Darren (Walworth County staff) summarized that legal point, saying a legally created parcel may be used as a building site even if it fails current size requirements, and that a marina is a listed conditional use in the C2 district.

County staff and the applicant also discussed the project’s shoreland zoning: staff advised that piers and mooring structures necessarily extend into the C4 Lake Zone even though parking and buildings sit on the C2 portion of the parcel. Nick (Walworth County staff) explained that \"the marina itself, the parking, the structures, and things like that are happening on the C2. But by virtue of a marina, you're going to extend out into a C4 zoned area.\"

Owner John Stoss told the agency the operation will include eight parking stalls and eight mooring spaces and that any telehandler or forklift would be stored roughly 85–90 feet from the lake, in a spot amended on his site plan. \"It's never gonna be operated or used or stored or parked anywhere on C4,\" Stoss told the committee, describing the vehicle-and-equipment parking area set well back from the shoreland strip.

Supervisors debated the town’s condition number 20, which originally read \"no heavy equipment to be parked or operated on this property.\" After discussion the motion on the floor kept the town’s conditions but replaced condition 20 with language that equipment “shall be stored in the vehicle and equipment parking area” and “shall not be used on the C4 shoreland wetland area.” The motion to approve with that amendment passed; the minutes record the motion was made by Jim Van Drieser and seconded by Mr. Cabatha (recorded on the transcript as the second).

Why it matters: the change preserves the town’s objective of protecting the narrow C4 shoreland/wetland strip while allowing the marina operator to use a telehandler or forklift from a designated, non‑shoreland storage area when necessary to move boats.

The agency’s action was limited to the conditional-use review and explicit conditions attached to the permit; other permits (building, shoreland, DNR approvals where required) remain separate. Staff flagged that the DNR had previously reviewed shoreland matters related to historical boat use at the site; the county said it had accepted the applicant’s submitted 2011 photograph as dated, but staff noted they could not independently verify the image’s registration tags.

Members voting and next steps: the motion to approve the conditional use with the amended equipment condition carried and will be reflected in the formal permit and conditions, and the applicant must meet any remaining town and county conditions before occupancy or marina operations begin.","The Walworth County Zoning Agency approved a conditional-use permit for a year-round marina proposed by Westrod Cottage Industries (owner John Stoss) in East Troy Township, keeping town conditions but amending a restriction on heavy equipment so machinery may be stored in a designated vehicle/equipment area away from the C4 shoreland zone.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Zoning agency approves small meat-packing/market at Nedesheim farm amid strong city opposition

Zoning agency approves 6 MW Dessler Farm solar array; project to include vegetative screening and decommissioning plan

Walworth County zoning panel approves marina at Westrod Cottage with storage limit for heavy equipment