County zoning has busy year

Carlton County Zoning and Environmental Services administrator Heather Cunningham gave her annual report to the county board Tuesday, saying it was a year of change with three new staff in the department. She thought it was good to have a fresh view of some of the programs they run.

Sixty new homes were built in the county and there was an increase in construction activity.

At the transfer station, recycling used mattresses is going to cost more. Clean mattresses will be processed now for $20 and wet mattresses will be taken for $24, with increased costs coming from the mattress processor, Goodwill Industries.

Blackhoof Township has had heavy traffic on the Olson Road. The road had five homes not long ago but now has 27 homes. A couple of applications of crushed asphalt on the first stretch of road and repeated grading have not solved the washboard issues. The road has a sand base.

Carlton County has asphalt projects set for CSAH 4 and 5 this summer. With an asphalt plant close by, Blackhoof Township is scheduled to tar a mile-plus stretch of the Olson Road but has limited funding for the project. The county board gave permission for the county’s transportation department to loan the township part of the cost with a payback schedule.