St Croix County Community Development Committee August 13th 2026

The St. Croix County Community Development Committee meeting, held August 13, 2026 (the metadata lists August 14), considered zoning applications and proposed county zoning-ordinance amendments. The committee moved and seconded approval of a 13.9-acre rezoning in Star Prairie from R2 residential to C1 commercial for a proposed fence-contractor business; the transcript does not clearly record the vote outcome. It unanimously approved a 40-acre rezoning in Baldwin from A1 to A2 agricultural, allowing the property owner to pursue a lot division and build a home while retaining farmland. A conditional-use request for a family-operated catering kitchen in Richmond was postponed to the September meeting, or until the county receives a review from the New Richmond Fire Department. The committee also discussed screening and other possible conditions for that application, which had drawn opposition from the town and nearby homeowners; staff advised that state law limits denial when an applicant agrees to meet applicable conditions.

The committee held a public hearing on proposed Chapter 15 amendments, including definitions and land-use rules for data centers, a proposed 12-month moratorium on medium- and large-scale data centers, and provisions concerning two-family dwellings, self-storage, short-term rentals, screening, and the Town of Hammond zoning map. The excerpt does not show final action on these amendments. A resident urged robust county budget funding for conservation staffing and programs, citing potential environmental and economic benefits, but no budget allocation or procurement decision was made. No procurement activity was identified.