STAR JOURNAL REPORT

A four-year-old battle challenging Oneida County’s Zoning and Shoreland Protection Ordinance over the placement of piers in Minocqua has ended with the property owner withdrawing his appeal.

The county’s Board of Adjustment had scheduled a public hearing Tuesday at the courthouse to hear an appeal by Benjamin Schlechter, whose property at 9664 Manitou Court was found by the county’s planning and zoning department in the summer of 2012 to be in violation of the county code related to the size, location, configuration and number of piers allowed.

However, the board’s hearing was canceled with the announcement Schlechter had withdrawn his appeal.

Schlechter had been required, following a closed session by the county’s Planning and Development Committee in August 2012, to remove all “non-permanent” sections of the pier that were found to be put in place in violation of the county code, while the “permanent” sections were allowed to remain until the spring of 2013, according to a letter dated June 2 and sent to Schlechter in Pennsylvania by assistant zoning director Peter Wegner.

Though the County Board amended the ordinance language earlier this year related to piers and other berth structures, Wegner said that “does not resolve the issues as outlined in previous enforcement letters” and informed Schlechter the piers placed in the summer of 2012 in violation of the county code must be removed by July 1.

“Based on approximately 165 feet of riparian frontage, the ordinance as written, would allow for the placement of one pier and four berths,” said Wegner, who also noted the planning and zoning department could seek injunctive relief and/or forfeitures in Oneida County Circuit Court for violating the county code.

Schlechter withdrew the appeal after reaching an agreement with the county, said zoning director Karl Jennrich, who noted some pier removal is called for under the agreement.