Garage too big for lot

Security issues

at Johnny Holm

Corn Days

dance arise

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

SLEEPY EYE -- Cory Heiderscheidt never realized his garage was too big for his lot until long after it was moved to his property at 417 Water St. SW.

He thought the garage measured 40x20, and it was measured that size by the city building inspector, he told the Sleepy Eye City Council Tuesday. He later found out the garage was 42x20 and too big for his lot, according to a city ordinance that specifies a garage can't be more than 10 percent of lot size or 1,008 square feet.

After the garage was set on a concrete slab on the lot, a councilor drove by and questioned whether the garage was too big, Heiderscheidt said.

His 132-foot lot would need to be 135 feet long to allow the garage size. He then requested a variance that was denied by the Sleepy Eye Planning and Zoning Commission.

"I believed I had enough room for it, now I find out I don't," Heiderscheidt said. "It's so dang close. I'm not close to anybody's lot line. Nobody cares. No nothing. This is peanuts."

City Council President Wayne Novotny suggested Heiderscheidt buy a foot of property from his neighbor. Novotny got no response for Heiderscheidt.

Heiderscheidt questioned if his lot was measured correctly. He said his lot size was not on his building permit.

"Streets exist so they draw a tape measure, but they may not be right," Heiderscheidt said.

Sleepy Eye City Engineer Dave Palm said some city streets are not centered on the right-of-way.

"I know there are many things in town in which the ball is dropped," Lowell Heiderscheidt said.

Councilor Richard Zinniel's motion, seconded by Harry Windschitl, followed the planning and zoning recommendation to deny the variance.

"I know it's mickey mouse but this would set a precedent," Zinniel said.

The council followed the vote by the planning and zoning panel and denied the Heiderscheidt's request variance by a 3-2 vote. Councilors Gary Windschitl and Lori Hirschboeck cast the dissenting votes.

Holm Dance security

The council denied a request for reduced security requirements for the Volunteers of America Corn Days street dance with the Johnny Holm Band on Saturday, Aug. 20.

Sleepy Eye Police Chief Don Mickelson wrote a letter to the Volunteers of America (Sleepy Eye Care Center) who is sponsoring the dance, that at least four licensed officers should be hired for dance security.

Mickelson said a city ordinance states that dance sponsors are responsible for hiring security. He will have an extra officer on duty during the dance but the officer won't stay at the dance.

"The town comes first," Mickelson said.

Sleepy Eye Care Center employee Colleen Braun said security officers are hard to find for the dance.

Braun said she is looking for officers who would volunteer to provide security at the dance.

In other action, the council:

* Learned that Palm wrote a letter to Brown County requesting a list of government agencies that need to be contacted about public meetings regarding a bike trail to be built along Sleepy Eye Lake.

* Learned from City Manager Mark Kober that long sections of pipe have been moved to Sleepy Eye by Mathiowetz Construction in preparation for the Sleepy Eye Lake dredging project. Kober said the DNR has not decided whether an area near the lake is a wetlands, although it has been farmed for 25 years.