April Planning Commission Meeting — Minutes

TOWN OF CALEDONIA PLANNING COMMISSION M I N U T E S April 14, 2026 Town of Caledonia, Waupaca County, Wisconsin Commissioners present: Helen Adams, Shari Fudge (via Zoom), Bob Prahl, Mike Stoltz, Cary Zaug, alternate Corey Besaw Also Attending: Pete Bosquez, Supervisor 1 and town board representative to the Planning Commission Chairperson Cary Zaug called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. The agenda was approved as published 5-0. The minutes of the March 9, 2026 meeting were approved as presented 5-0. Residential Development Planning Process, Phase 1 At the Planning Commission’s November 2025 meeting, town chairperson Bill Abba asked commissioners to create a plan for expanding residential growth through subdivision development within the town. In February, he laid out a phased process for investigation and identification of areas that meet specific criteria. Creating a plan for residential development is one of the Planning Commission’s goals for 2026, and it aligns with a Town Board goal. In Phase 1, commissioners briefly discussed the following: • Where are roads adequate? State Roads 45 and 96, and there is easy access to State Road 10. Additional roads may need to be identified. • Where are roads inadequate? Two areas were identified (Weiland Road area and Cutoff Road), but more discussion is needed around roads that may be too narrow for potential residential areas. • Where are utilities including natural gas and broadband available? o Broadband: In 4 years, the Town of Caledonia will have coverage in all areas of the town. Check when installation of broadband in the town will be completed. o Natural Gas: The current three subdivisions have natural gas. Additional information is needed on current natural gas availability in potential residential growth areas. • Where are the problem areas to avoid? o Existing and future quarry locations: Existing blasting quarry locations: Two on Guhl Road- Go Green and MCC and Faulks Brothers along State Road 96 at the edge of Readfield o Potential quarry locations: Top of Brehmer Road (limestone rock). Additional detail on potential mining sites is needed. o Railroad corridor: The Wisconsin Central Limited/Canadian National Railroad tracks run across Guhl Road, County Road W, Pines Road, and County Road HH. • Where are the heavy truck routes located? Country Visions Cooperative, Go Green Quarry, and MCC Quary have trucks using Guhl Road, Brehmer road, and County Road W traveling to Readfield. From Readfield, truck traffic continues on State Road 96. Faulks Brothers Quarry trucks use State Road 96. • What facilities/amenities will residents be seeking? New residents will want high quality schools, recreational facilities. Additional information about desired facilities and amenities is needed. Two additional questions in the Phase 1 outline should be discussed: • How can the town’s rural environment be preserved? • How can the town’s investments in infrastructure be minimized? Using a large map of the Town of Caledonia and erasable markers, commissioners identified adequate roads, blasting quarries, railroad tracks, and initial potential residential development areas to be considered. The information gathering and discussion will continue in May. Report from Town Board Liaison (Pete Bosquez) Pete Bosquez announced that the town’s annual meeting will occur on Tuesday, April 21, and he invited commissioners to attend. The main topic for discussion is consideration of town board compensation. Report from Park Committee representative Helen Adams reported that a small group completed work on a design for the new town logo, is finalizing the order for the general park signs, and is considering several designs for the Gruetzmacher Park entrance sign. Old Business • Discussion of Proposed Waupaca County Zoning and Shoreline Protection Ordinances: On April 9 Cary Zaug, Helen Adams, and Mike Stoltz attended a round table discussion initiated by the Town of Lind elected officials in Waupaca about the proposed language to the county’s zoning ordinance. Cary reported that discussion centered on attendees’ concerns about accessory battery energy storage systems and manure co- biodigester facilities. Several attendees commented that the energy storage systems should be considered utilities. There was apprehension that if the co-digesters failed, local governments have insufficient funds for decommissioning and site cleanup. Those commenting had strong feelings that manure co-digester facilities should not be classified as an agricultural accessory nor should they be allowed through a conditional use permit process. Pete reported the Planning and Zoning Committee will meet on April 21 at 9 am to consider the proposed ordinances. Limited public comments may be allowed at the chairperson’s discretion. Public Comment: There was no public comment. The meeting was adjourned at 6:50 pm. Respectfully submitted, Helen R. Adams, Recording Secretary Action items from the April meeting: • Cary, Shari, and Helen will meet via Zoom to prepare the agenda for the May 11 PC meeting. • Helen will send Mike a Zoom link for the May meeting. • At the May meeting, commissioners will review and continue to add to Phase 1 information gathering in areas identified in blue in the April minutes. • Commissioners will continue to prepare draft motions for resident requests at upcoming meetings. Upcoming meetings May 11, 2026 5:30-7:00 pm Planning Commission meeting June 8, 2026 5:30-7:00 pm Planning Commission meeting July 13, 2026 5:30-7:00 pm Planning Commission meeting