Sawmill noise issue resolved

A sawmill operation in Waukechon has met the requirements of its conditional use permit from Shawano County, the Planning, Development and Zoning (PDZ) Committee agreed Wednesday. The committee approved the permit on June 6, 2012, with the condition that the mill’s owner, Leroy Schrock, would take steps to suppress the noise that a sawmill operation would produce. The permit was approved despite a recommendation from the Waukechon Town Board against allowing the permit. The noise reduction plan that Schrock had submitted to the county stipulated that he would, by Jan. 1 of this year, insulate his main sawmill building, move two outside blowers together and put a building around them, and insulate a generator building complete with a noise muffler. Zoning Administrator Bob Jacobson said in a PDZ meeting last month that the latter two requirements had been met, but the main sawmill had not been insulated. The committee gave Schrock until July to satisfy all requirements, or it would consider shutting down the sawmill. On Wednesday, Jacobson reported all of the requirements had been satisfied. Another question recently came up about adequate fire suppression, but Schrock is working with the Shawano Area Fire Department to address those issues, which are outside the county’s scope in regards to the permit, Jacobson said. “I don’t know that there’s a whole lot more on our end in regards to the conditional use permit that was granted that we can do,” Jacobson said. Committee members agreed. “I think Leroy did what he said he’d do,” Supervisor Gene Hoppe said. “I think we should approve it.” Supervisor Marlin Noffke agreed with Hoppe, but was concerned that there was no documentation that the actions solved the noise problem that prompted the complaint. “We don’t know how much noise is too much noise,” Noffke said. Supervisor Ken Capelle said the noise issue has been solved. He noted that he drove by the area about 2:15 p.m. Monday and could not hear anything except a motor for a generator on the property. “It wasn’t even as loud as a tractor,” Capelle said.