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It seems like the bulldozer blade propped-up in a farm field has carried the painted words,  “future home of Franconia Town Hall” for a long, long time. But, the future has arrived. Chisago County last week approved a preliminary plat for the site, paving the way for progress.

Franconia made their case at the county planning commission public hearing, and the county board signed off on the approval last week. 

The township will plat one 13.14 acre lot and one 13.85 acre lot,  creating the township hall location plus an “outlot” that can not be developed until septic system suitability is determined.  Main access will be from Pleasant Valley Road or CSAH 26.  The nearest cross road is Redwing or CSAH 21.

Franconia currently has a vintage township hall facing Highway 95 in the southeast side of the township.  The early plan is to first build a new maintenance facility on the Pleasant Valley site and phase in the new township hall as the budget accommodates.  

Clerk Chuck Fitzer told the Press the heritage township hall site is not in its original position, as widening and improvements for Hwy 95 many years ago necessitated adjustments to the property. There is not enough square feet where the township hall sits now to grow operations to meet the needs of residents.  Franconia town supervisors got a thumbs-up on proceeding with the new projects from taxpayers attending the March annual meeting.  

The preliminary plat the county granted is good for one year. A final plat and site preparation would be the next steps.

In other land use matters— the County Board approved the request from Calvary Evangelical on Rush Point Drive,  for a Conditional Use Permit.  This gives the parcel “legal status” for assembly of people and for cemetery uses. The request creates four lots out of the 24 acre parcel with the church on its own parcel as one of the four.  The church and cemetery have been on this site since the 1870s.  The congregation plans to sell the parsonage.

~ A proposal for a commercial kennel that was not authorized by the county in 2025 has been re-worked and re-filed as an Interim Use Permit, with all new conditions proposed.  

The 10-acre property is near 500th Street and 505th on the east side of Bayview Avenue in Nessel Township.

The applicants want to keep eight dogs on the property, mostly miniature dachshunds.  One current site resident will move and take her 10 dogs with her and county officials feel assured this will happen.  Applicants have been cooperating on achieving compliance.

New HHS Director named

Chisago County commissioners unanimously accepted the personnel committee’s recommendation to appoint Vickie Goulette as the Health and Human Services Director. She will start May 1 and succeeds Robert Benson who retired at the end of January.

Goulette will bring “enormous experience” to Chisago County, said committee member Commissioner Marlys Dunne. Additionally, Commissioner Jim Swenson said Goulette seems to bring “more than we could ask for” and agreed she has knowledge in various areas of social services and public health.

HHS is the biggest department in the county budget, alongside Road & Bridge.

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