Plan Commission - Regular Meeting

All right. Welcome to the Village of Cottage Grove Plan Commission on Wednesday, February 11th, um, 2026. This is a hybrid meeting both virtually on Zoom and in person at Village Hall. That Zoom link is on the top of the agenda and you can watch our meetings on our YouTube channel. Um it is 6:30 so I'll call the meeting to order. We have a quorum and the agenda was properly posted. So we'll stand for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Right. This is the public's appearances, public's opportunity to speak. We have no one in the room. So, anyone on Zoom?

You can um raise your hand if you're on Zoom um and we'll uh allow you to speak then. And if you don't know, the raise your hand function is at the the bottom of the Zoom. Okay, we'll move on to discuss and consider the minutes from the plan commission meeting on January 14th, 2026. Those meeting minutes are linked in the agenda. Motion to approve the minutes as presented. Second. All right. There's a motion by Alex and a second by Kim. Any other discussion? All those in favor? I I I

opposed. Abstain. Motion carries. Uh that we'll move on to number six which is discuss and consider a request from Dave Hensiac of New Tech Golf Carts for a conditional use permit to allow an outdoor display incidental to indoor sales land use at 645 San Piper Trail and that um updated um information is found in the agenda and I'll kind of let Erin um maybe go through the memo um and invite Dave up to um join in the conversation as well. Yeah. So Dave and I have continued to talk this over the past couple days. So it's actually I think a little bit less complicated than what's in the staff report. Um the pond is actually not quite as big as what had been shown in the site plan before in the drawing we were using as the sketch. Um so there is actually room within the regulations of the ordinance to get probably about six or so carts in next to the pond. Um Dave it sounds like is satisfied with using that that area for the for the display. Um and I I would not have any issues recommending approval of the conditional use permit, you know, using just that area. Um with some condition only to the golf cart business. um that it applies only to carts and not other equipment or items. Uh that the display is permitted just from April 1st to October 31st. Um and that's really the the three I would have if you have any other

I don't think you know having it out front like that is going to definitely help sales. You know I worry if I don't have it out there we'll have some serious financial issues. So, but I do like the proposed area and I feel that it's behind the setback like we were talking. Don't you have ebikes too, Dave? I got rid of all of them. Oh, okay. Yep. No more ebikes. Okay. Yeah, they didn't sell. Okay. We got 300 of them if you want to buy one. Okay. Yeah. For my clarification, it's only on the lefthand side then. Correct. Six golf carts, not the corner on Sandpiper. Yeah.

And yeah, correct. And plus there I have that monument sign and it just would be too tacky. And I guess with the sign, my concern was the sign plus the golf carts makes it harder visibility to turn. I know you're worried about that too. Um so we're kind of was before. It's just going to be behind the setback because the beginning of my pond is 40T from the road and that is the setback requirement. So we're past that which is good. And then remind we talked about flags last time. It's three flags. I thought it was 10. Something like that. No, it's two. Two. Two. Okay. Two. Nice try. Just wanted to reiterate that there was a limit on Yeah. And that's that's already in the sign ordinance. It doesn't have to be.

Um so, one thing I do want to ask because we do have other renters in there. We have the um the PT person and we got several people in there, but they it I know I had talked to you. It's like two sign. Of course, I want the two signs, right, by my golf carts or I mean the flags, I'm sorry. But there are other businesses that would like to promote their businesses sometimes. Two two per property. How how you allocate them, I guess, is up to you if you want to swap them. I just wanted to clarification. As long as there's no more than two. Nope. I just wanted to clarify just because if they ever wanted to, I could tell them no. So,

okay. Thanks. So, are we fine without doing any of those other modifications or I don't think we need to. Um, I mean, it's as far as the ordinance goes, it's not the best written section of the ordinance I've I've seen. There probably are some things. What was What was the purpose of not having it between the in the front of the building? What was that? I'm not sure, but it only applies to accessory uses and not if it's a primary use. Yeah. Um, probably they were concerned that if it's an accessory use, it could just be random stuff that looks junky as opposed to if it's a principal use, then it's something that's kind of always there and we're expected.

I guess if it's a conditional use, we're kind of approving what what's going there. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, we're specifying it's only the carts, it's only the cart business, it's only during that certain time frame. So, maybe that's something we could work on in the future. Yeah, I think it's the kind of thing, you know, there's efficiencies to the cost of making the changes to the ordinance if you have a few things to change at once. I think it's the kind of thing we put on the list for later. Yeah, you're good, Dave. I'm good. Yeah. Yeah. Go ahead.

Sorry. um with the move to the left side of the pond as it shows on the drawing and um you know I'm thinking of school buses and the traffic and stuff. What's why would why add the limit on timing on the on the the yearly time frame? What's is there a benefit to doing that extra effort in the code to code it or whatever? I mean I don't if he wants to leave it out in the middle of winter that's that's on him, right? I mean, I I think we'll probably pull stuff in at night, whatever. Bad weather, but just won't allow it. Yeah, but for us, why would we go to an extra Why would we add layers of complexity?

We don't have to. It just seemed like there was some interest last time and not having them out all year long. And I and I agree with that. That's we had residents, there's nobody here today. And then, you know, it was kind of the grand scheme wrap around and all kinds of stuff. And now it's it's in a nice spot. We're all in. I mean, I I don't know. I just put it to team. I don't know that it I mean, you don't really sell them in the winter anyway, right? Yeah. We can't hit them outside. Yeah. But I don't But this would make it more restrictive if it was a really nice March and you wanted to put them out there. I guess then you couldn't if we were to put a time frame on it. Um Right. I guess

that I agree because I mean I would love to have see sun and 70°ree weather in March, right? We all would. Yeah. So, that's the time you kind of put carts out, but I'm I'm okay with the April 1. I mean, if you guys are going to grant that, I'm okay with it. But, if you want to have it open-ended, I'm definitely not going to have it in the winter. I mean, they have to be put away before it freezes. Um, they're lithium batteries, so we don't like to leave them outside. I mean, I'm okay with removing I don't see that it creates it creates a burden on us to regulate it as well. I mean, you leave your stuff get wrecked. We have other mechanisms for nuisance ordinances and stuff like that. So that's I don't see the need for a date. Okay. Yeah.

Then someone can make not going to abuse it because I have to have them in and out at certain times anyways. But it would be appreciated I guess because we had a good early spring. That would be nice. Then someone could make a motion just with the first two conditions. Um, again that this applies only to the golf cart business and only to the carts and not other equipment. Heidi, you have a comment. Yeah, I just had a question quick. Um, will there be any like lighting aimed on them? That's probably something that's restricted, but I just wanted to ask if you had any plans to light. Okay.

No, it's pretty lit right there and we had them out for most of the summer and it uh we never had issues. It's not dark at all. We got a lot of cameras on them, too. So, okay. Thank you. Yeah. Thank you.

And so, golf cart business, obviously the golf carts, but you like you did mention ebikes, then you were going to go with scooters. This only applies to golf carts or anything that is coming out. That's all I would have. We we may sell scooters, but they can uh that'll be marketed on TV and like that. I we don't need scooters out. Um but I probably will sell them. I But I want to ask like are you guys going to change your ordinance? I know it was kind of a nuisance. Um because I'm not going to buy a bunch and then we can't have them in town. So yes. Um to be discussed at the next le meeting.

Okay. I'll hold off on buying them until I You can let me know. I mean because I really I thought about buying some but I figured we'll wait until but yeah they wouldn't be outside at all and I do see the kids flying by my office all the time and they're doing 25 miles an hour and they don't stop at the stop sign. They just don't even look. I mean I got a 13-year-old son but they just cruise right through. Scary. I don't even want my kid on one, believe it or not. I don't let him have one. Golf cart he can have, just not a scooter. So, so this is a discuss and consider

I'd like to do it, but I'm lost in the words of Erin's lots of letters where the conditions are. You want the conditions again? Um would be with first condition that the permit applies only to the new new tech golf cart business, not the other businesses on the site and that it applies only to carts and not other equipment or items. It sounds like you want to get rid of the one pertaining to the time frame. So correct. So moved. I'll make his I'll make the motion as Aaron uh read. Second. All right, there's a motion and a second. Any other discussion? All those in favor?

I I opposed saying motion carries. Future agenda items. Yeah. So, we actually sent notice letters out for two hearings tonight that got moved back. Um Toby's Auto is still working through some things. Um, we'll see if they're back in March, but the sports facility, um, pretty pretty certain we'll be on in March. They made some revisions to the plan a little bit late in the process. I know it's kind of hard for everyone to get a review done on that in that time frame, but they'll be back in March. Yeah, you're done. All right. Otherwise, we're on number eight anyway.

Motion to adjurnn. Y second. All right. Motion and second. Non-debatable. All those in favor? Hi. Hi. Hi.