The Brown County Area Plan Commission and county commissioners have approved a residential planned unit development on Clay Lick Road.
John Seifert petitioned the board for the approval of the PUD at 2270 Clay Lick Road, which would consist of four tourist cabins.
The property was zoned secondary residential, flood plain and forest reserve. The property features a paved driveway with a bridge across Clay Lick Creek that leads visitors to the tourist homes and the maintenance building. The property also has two cemeteries.
The cabins on the property had been used as a corporate retreat in the past and meet the local tourist home definition by not having more than five bedrooms, according to the staff report presented to the APC on Aug. 24.
No one currently lives in the homes and they have been vacant since the previous owner, Seifert said.
Concerns were expressed by APC members about visitors having to pull out of the driveway because of a blind curve, but Seifert said he would put in additional safety precautions to make sure visitors are careful entering or leaving.
Seifert owns around 560 acres, but the development proposal involves only around 38 acres, according to the staff report.
The property has two large septic system fields that service the buildings.
Seifert said he would like to eventually develop trail systems on the property for guests to use. There was some discussion amongst APC members if allowing guests to access trails on the entire property would require additional approvals or notification of neighbors, but APC attorney David Schilling said the APC could proceed with the request as is and could make an amendment if needed later.
Seifert said that the tourist homes will be managed by a local property management company who will be available by phone 24/7 if any guest had an issue.
Planning and zoning recommended APC approve the request since it the proposed PUD is surrounded by over 500 acres under the same owner and because the homes already exist.
APC approved the PUD unanimously. The county commissioners approved the PUD at the Sept. 1 meeting.
Now that the site has been rezoned to PUD, Seifert will put together a development plan for the area, which also be submitted to the APC and commissioners for approval.
