Heinzel, a retired production engineer with UniSys, is a two-year resident of North Branch and formerly from White Bear Lake. He is a former Boy Scout leader and Little League baseball coach and is active in the North Branch Sno-drifters snowmobile club. Mayor Ellis Johnson indicated the city had interviewed five candidates for the council appointment before selecting Heinzel. Heinzel will likely be sworn in at the council s next meeting May 8 and will act in an unofficial capacity until that time, the mayor said. Variance requests denied Acting on various recommendations forwarded from last Monday s planning commission meeting, the city council voted to deny two separate variance requests for the construction of fences more than six feet in height within the city.
City ordinances call for fences no taller than six feet without a variance.
Juntunen s request indicated the topography of his yard called for a fence of up to 10 feet in order to maintain a level top-rail and proper aesthetics for the structure. The council denied the request without discussion. Also denied was a variance request from Daniel Goldbloom for a fence of up to 10 feet in height at his residence on 381st Street. Goldbloom s request cited privacy issues concerning constructions of six new, split-level homes on an adjacent lot. The sight line for privacy offered by a six-foot high fence is totally inadequate, Goldbloom s request states.