The Clearwater Township Board of Supervisors had a busy time last week with land and zoning requests during the August monthly meeting.

 

In its first action of the evening, after a brief public hearing, the board voted to extinguish the town’s interest in a portion of an abandoned road on the proposed site of the new Kwik Trip station store.

 

One of the criteria for extinguishing the township’s interest is the past history of the road’s upkeep. The has been no maintenance or improvements on the road for the past 25 years.

 

“The road has been on paper for a lot of years but never in use,” said Supervisor Dan Mol. “For Kwik Trip to be able to build, we have to get the road off paper.”

 

After a brief discussion, the board voted to recommend extending a conditional use permit (CUP) for the Diane Stirling kennel on Grover Ave.

 

Under the CUP, the kennel is allowed to have 30 adult dogs on site.

 

Supervisor Scott Miller said the state health board report from an inspection done on July 5 stated the kennel has 23 adult dogs and 42 puppies. Puppies are not considered dogs until they reach six months old.

 

“Puppies are probably kind of a coming and going commodity, so she is under the 30-dog limit as far as the adults go,” he said. “It passed in pretty much every category, so it looks good. And we haven’t had any complaints that I’m aware of.”

 

Township Clerk Jean Just said she spoke with the county and they haven’t received any complaints, either.

 

Mol said the last time the county did an inspection, the kennel was “pretty well kept.”

 

Supervisor Bill Langenbacher made a motion to continue the CUP with another review in three years, unless there is a complaint before then. He also asked that the township receive a copy of the annual state health inspection report.

The board voted 3-0 in favor.

 

The board listened a request by Tim Dickinson for the township to vacate a parcel near his property at 15925 Gowan Ave. so he could extend his roof to cover his front steps.

 

Dickinson said he found out from the county that the land directly in front of his home is owned by the township. So legally, he can’t extend the roof.

 

“The township has our entire driveway,” he told members of the board.

 

The board was not against  vacating the parcel. But Mol said it could be a long and expensive legal process, with the entire cost the responsibility of Dickinson.

 

Clerk Just said vacating the parcel could cost $2,000 or more.

 

Mol said another option would be requesting a variance before the board of adjustment. He said there were no guarantees, but the variance process was cheaper and simpler.

 

Dickinson said he would look into a variance first.

 

The board recommended approval for Mike Spoden to rezone and split a 40-acre parcel on 160th Street into three lots of approximately 13.3 acres each.

 

Clerk Just read an unsigned letter from a resident with a complaint about cows walking in a creek that flows into Fish Lake.

 

“I don’t think there’s anything we can do about it,” said Supervisor Miller. “They’re free range cows.” 

 

“State statute says anybody who has had a feed lot or pasture in the past, as long as it remains pasture, there’s nothing the county or township can do about it,” said Just.

 

“And we don’t have an official complaint without a signature,” said Mol.

 

The board agreed to have Maintenance Supervisor Mike Ludenia get quotes to supply the township with 7,000 cubic yards of gravel for 2017.

 

The next monthly meeting is Sept. 12 at 7:30 p.m.