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Paynesville Press - July 21, 2004

Paynesville Township approves weight limit on new roads

The Paynesville Township Board of Supervisors took the following actions on Monday, July 12.

*The board discussed its seven-ton limit on new roads in the township with a group of local contractors and approved an attachment to their site permit informing contractors of the limit and asking for cooperation in abiding by the seven-ton limit. The board also agreed to post these seven-ton roads with signs.

The township requires developers to build seven-ton roads in new plats and then takes over the roads, making them a township responsibility. To avoid damaging these roads, the township needs contractors to abide by the seven-ton limit.

The contractors, while expressing understanding for the limit, were concerned about enforcement and about having a level playing field. Abiding by the limit might require two loads instead of one, for example, which would raise the cost. They did not want to lose jobs for following the township limit while other contractors, unaware of the limit, have lower bids by using fewer loads.

In an effort to inform contractors, the board approved the attachment to its site permits, asking for cooperation from contractors, and agreed to pose these new roads with seven-ton-limit signs.

*The board verbally approved having the township's annual meeting in March broadcast on local cable television.

*The board approved vacating the original plat for Koronis Park following a public hearing attended by ten residents of the development, Koronis Park Revised.

The current roads in the area follow Koronis Park Revised, but the streets in the original plat for Koronis Park had never been vacated, a problem resident Faye Weatherwax discovered when refinancing her house. Her title examiner considered these underlying roads an encumberance to her property and refused to close without the road vacation, which will not affect the existing roads in the area.

*The board authorized chairman Don Pietsch to pursue negotiations with the county over changes to the county zoning ordinance, which is also used by the township. Changes to the wetland calculation, to cluster developments, and to transfer rights are being suggested. The township board has said they want to keep the wetland calculation but would like to eliminate the transfer of building rights. They have not decided about clustering.

*The board accepted a petition from landowners along Brentwood Road asking the township to vacate the end of this road. The board set a public hearing on this vacation request for Monday, Aug. 23, at 8:30 p.m., contingent on getting two more signatures on the petition.

*The board approved an annexation request from Midwest Property Solutions, LLC, to start annexation procedures to the city. Owners of the lot on Minnie Street wish to pursue annexation for the purpose of getting city sewer and water.



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