Now, Mower County has something in writing to guide the highway department when requests surface for constructing in-drives.

Wednesday, August 25, 1999

Now, Mower County has something in writing to guide the highway department when requests surface for constructing in-drives.

No longer will it be at the whim of an individual county commissioner or the county engineer to decide where in-drives are constructed.

Also, property owners will have to pay a processing/permitting fee for their in-drives.

However, the new "in-writing" policy remains in conflict with that of the Mower County Board of Adjustment.

And, Len Miller, 4th District county commissioner, remains opposed to the new guidelines.

"I don’t understand why it is the county’s responsibility to do something that benefits only the private property owner," Miller said.

The new policy was approved Tuesday, when the Mower County Board of Commissioners met in regular session at the government center in Austin. The vote for approval was 4-1 with Miller dissenting. His 4th District does not include rural constituents; only the city of Austin’s 3rd Ward.

Michael Hanson, county engineer, was asked by the commissioners to draft the in-drive policy and put it "in writing."

According to Hanson, an in-drive to a farm field or rural residence can cost a minimum of $2,000 and will require a minimum of two hours for two county employees to inspect and design the in-drive. The width, whether to accommodate vehicles at a strictly residential residence or farm tractors and other equipment, as well as semis accessing a farm field, is the key component to the plan.

Also, Hanson said its location, as far as traffic safety issues go, is also important.

Hanson had no recommendations of his own.

"We’re looking for guidance. The board sets the policies," he said.

Richard P. Cummings, 1st District county commissioner, represents a district that is largely rural. He favored installing in-drives at the county’s expense.

"If it helps improve our tax base in Mower County, it’s a minor cost," Cummings said.

However, Glenn W. Jacobsen, chief deputy prosecutor for Mower County and legal counsel to the county board, pointed out a "wrinkle."

According to Jacobsen, the Board of Adjustment requires applicants to pick-up all costs for an in-drive, when rural residents seek a variance from county zoning laws.

"The applicant is required by the Board of Adjustment to pick up all costs for driveways leading to previously undeveloped property," Jacobsen said.

"That’s one of the reasons there is a conflict," agreed Craig Oscarson, county coordinator. "The county highway department has put in in-drives free, while the Board of Adjustment requires the property owner or developer to pay when they get a variance to build."

"When did the Board of Adjustment start doing that and what was their rationale?" Dave Hillier, 3rd District county commissioner, wanted to know.

Ray Tucker, 2nd District county commissioner, didn’t favor charging for in-drive installations.

"When the Board of Adjustment grants a variance those parcels of land are something that isn’t quite the same or it wouldn’t be there before the board," Tucker said. "If you split a parcel, it has to have access."

According to Hanson, Olmsted County offers no financial help to rural residents desiring an in-drive, while Goodhue County pays up to $500 for each in-drive.

Also, the county engineer said the locations of in-drives can be required to be moved when they pose possible traffic hazards because of being located in the wrong place.

Miller remained adamant, paying for in-drives was not the county’s responsibility and made a motion that the county not participate. His motion died for a lack of a second.

Then, Tucker made a motion for the county’s participation and Hillier seconded it. The vote was 4-1 to approve.

The policy calls for a $10 fee for processing an application for an in-drive, which the county highway department will design and install. The width of the in-drive will be a maximum of 24-feet subject to the discretion of the county highway department.

One special provision of the policy continues the current accepted practice and that is replacement of driveways along county roads will be done by the county at county expense even when they extend into a municipality’s city limits. However, no new driveways will be installed along county roads inside a city’s corporate limits.

Also Tuesday, Hanson received the commissioners’ approval to hire an engineering firm to design specifications for a re-decking of the 4th Street Northeast bridge in the city of Austin.

The engineering fees are expected to cost $17,000, while the actual re-decking will cost between $200,000 and $300,000, according to Hanson.

Mower County, by statute, has jurisdiction of all the bridges in the county’s environs, whether inside the corporate city limits or elsewhere.

The county highway department is in the midst of a major bridge inspection program this summer to verify the structural integrity of the county’s bridges.

The program has forced the delay in various paving or repaving projects this summer.