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November 25, 1997 Dane County Zoning Department City-County Bldg. Madison,WI 53709 Subject: Request for Conditional Use Permit for a retreat(religious use)at 585 Tipperary Road, Section 29,Town of Oregon Dear Board Members, According to the Dane County Code of Ordinances,the issues of concern are numerous. As stated,no CUP will be granted unless all standards outlined within the ordinances are met including: (reference 10-42) That the establishment,maintenance,or operation of the CUP will not be detrimental to,or endanger the public health,safety,and comfort or general welfare. Fire Safety: I have lived in this area all my life the last 18 years at my current residence(1/2 mile south of the proposed retreat location). One of the first years we lived in the house there was a marsh fire. The fire originated from a spark of the neighbors trash barrel(closest dwelling to the proposed retreat site). The road lined with persons sight seeing as the fire fighters attempted(without success)to extinguish the 20-30 foot flames. The most rememberable moment of the day came when an exhausted,frustrated fire fighter asked that we find someone,with heavy farm equipment,to work the land around a farm building site on Bellbrook Rd. (this site is a mile south from the proposed retreat site). They knew they were unable to save the buildings since the trucks were stuck in the marsh. The risk for marsh fires is very real as it has been previously stated in a letter from the Brooklyn Fire Department. This property is surrounded by wetlands,marsh,and woods and is very vulnerable to wild fires. Most of the fire suppression would need to be done on foot with backpacks due to the terrain. (Reference letter Brooklyn Fire Department and wetlands map) Issues include: -Retreat has requested a fire pit--increased use of fire--->increased risk of fire -Limited access to land due to terrain in addition to single drive to access land(no other enterance/exit) -Current drive access is unable to handle heavy emergency equipment -Question(according to Dane County, Soils Survey manual)if soil is of type that could maintain drive construction that could handle heavy emergency equipment. -In the future no crop barriers,will exist,to slow the fire as the DNR will assume use of surrounding lands In light of these issues at the very least the drive should be required to meet specifications for a township road. Hunting Safety: Is it safe to have a building over 10,000 sq. feet surrounded on 3 sides by heavily utilized public hunting lands? The proposed building is the size of a 1/3 of a football field,arranged on approximately 5 acres of the 30+acre parcel(1/6th of the property size). This is the largest wooded area in section 29 and by the DNR's own admission the habitat for many species of wildlife. (Reference letter from WI DNR). The Oregon EMS District has also expressed concern for injuries with increased numbers of persons in a small area. A simple fence with "No Hunting"signs posted will not stop bullets or arrows(Reference letter from Oregon EMS). Environmental Considerations: Waste disposal and sanitation concerns have not been addressed. The land has a perc from>2 years ago for a 2-3 bedroom dwelling. The proposed dwelling is 5-6x the average family home. Will the land handle a sewer system of the magnitude required for a dwelling of 10,000+sq. ft.? More people generate more waste resulting in an increased burden on the local recycling center. Do you really want increase waste generation in an natural wildlife area? Is this a safety concern for animals/persons or the environment? _