BELLE — Residents shared concerns regarding zoning at Lehnhoff Drive during the Oct. 13 Belle Board of Aldermen meeting.

Disagreements have arisen about whether Lehnhoff Drive is a public or private road and whether Tony Gieck’s property at 203 Lehnhoff Drive follows the current zoning and variance regulations. Gieck defended his use of the property while his neighbor Paulette Fricke believes he violated the variance.

“So I’m asking tonight for you to revoke that variance from him because that wasn’t right because you knew, and that was nepotism,” she said.

She then asked Marshal Jerry Coborn if their subdivision is residential. Coborn said that he would have to look over the information with the planning and zoning committee.

Fricke said that she doesn’t believe that the city should grant a variance for storage sheds because people break into them. She also doesn’t want large volumes of traffic on her road or lights keeping her awake. She questioned whether there was a permit for the new structure.

“We don’t need an industrial park in our backyard,” she said. “Nobody wants that. You wouldn’t want it. I don’t want it.”

Fricke also said that Mayor James (Pudd) Mitchell knew that Gieck was violating the variance because he was only supposed to have one unloaded logging truck on his property to maintain. Therefore, he should have addressed the violation.

Mitchell said that he wasn’t mayor at the time.

“You know now. You knew he was doing it,” Fricke said.

Regarding the vehicle, Gieck said that his vehicle was compliant with the variance and that the arbitration board considered the trailer as part of the vehicle.

“I’ve done everything according to the ordinances, went through the proper procedures to get a variance for my shop,” he said.

As for weight, Gieck said that the truck weighs 20,800 pounds, the loader is 7,350 pounds, and the log trailer weighs 4,000 pounds, for a total of about 32,000 pounds loaded. He also said that the heaviest load this year, which he didn’t bring home, was 54,110 pounds.

“Also, during that meeting, I stated that I would bring that log truck home from time to time,” he said. “Never once did I say I wouldn’t bring it home loaded.”

Gieck denied claims that his truck weighs 80-100,000 pounds loaded, saying that would be a $3-4,000 fine for about a $1,200 load.

Belle City Code Section 365.080 prohibits commercial vehicles licensed over 24,000 pounds from driving on roads other than Highways 28 and 89 and Routes EE and M. The city exempts driving for the “purpose of picking up or delivering freight, wares, goods, merchandise or the servicing of the vehicle at a local business.”

Gieck also said that garbage trucks weigh 40-45,000 pounds empty and 75-80,000 pounds loaded, but because his vehicle is longer, the load is more spread out.

“And do I want the trash company to quit coming down here? Absolutely not,” he said.

Gieck also responded to the Sept. 30 article, “Records raise questions over logging operation, road status on Lehnhoff Drive” from The Advocate.

The article mentions two separate photos, one submitted and another taken by Advocate Staff Writer Edward Gehlert that was printed on the page. The submitted photo, which was not printed, reportedly showed a loaded trailer attached to a logging truck.

Gehlert’s photo shows a few vehicles, including a combine, a truck and attached trailer, a separate trailer and a tractor. The photo also shows a newly constructed building and a detached loader bucket.

“It says that the log truck parked in the driveway appears to be loaded with logs. Anybody who read this paper can look at that log truck. There’s not a stick of wood on it,” he said.

In the Sept. 30 edition of The Advocate, Gehlert outlined that one submitted photo allegedly contained a loaded trailer at Gieck’s residence. The photo did not print because of it’s lack of quality. However, Gehlert included in the story what the photographer alleged was in the photograph, but printed his own picture. The cutline gives no indication of the load status of the trailer.

Regarding the combine, Gieck said that it belongs to his friend, who asked him to look at the air conditioner that had stopped working.

Gieck also said that the detached loader bucket belongs to Belle and that the city was working on his neighbor’s water line.

Regarding the building, Gieck said that the building burned down Jan. 12, and he rebuilt it and has a permit.

For nepotism concerns, Gieck said that while Mitchell is his first cousin, zoning issues do not apply, only appointments to public office and employment. Furthermore, he said that Mitchell abstained when the Board of Adjustment voted 3-0-1 to grant the variance.

However, city records from July 11, 2023, show Mitchell voted “aye” for Ordinance 620 outlining a rezoning of 203 Lehnoff Dr. No. B, Lot 21from residential to business in the city of Belle, with a variance for one logging truck. Former aldermen Adam Padgett, Mitchell, Jeanette Struemph and Barb Howarth approved the measure with a 4-0 vote.