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Planning commission grants interim-use permit for landscaping business in Linden with indoor-storage condition
Summary
The Planning Commission approved an after-the-fact interim-use permit for a landscaping business at 3563 Seventieth Street North (Linden) with conditions limiting outdoor storage, capping employees at 15 nonfamily members, requiring compliance with county home-occupation standards and terminating the permit on ownership change.
The Clay County Planning Commission voted to approve an after‑the‑fact interim‑use permit (IUP) for a landscaping business operated from 3563 Seventieth Street North, Linden (Parcel ID 20.030.1503), subject to four conditions intended to protect groundwater in the wellhead protection area and to limit neighborhood impacts.
Staff summary and regulation: Matt (planning staff) told the commission the property is zoned Agricultural General and Resource Protection—Wellhead Protection. The business uses a roughly 1,400‑square‑foot shop for storage and dispatch; the applicant uses the site primarily for parking company vehicles and trailers, with no customers visiting the property. Hours in the application were listed as 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., April 15 to Nov. 15; staff reported ample space for parking (approximately 38 spaces shown on the site plan).
The applicant, Ryan Bufink, said the operation does not perform chemical spraying or apply fertilizer at the site, and that equipment and materials are stored inside the shop or in storage containers when appropriate. He told the commission, “We do not do any sort of chemical weed spraying, fertilizing, anything of that nature.”
Because the parcel lies in a high groundwater sensitivity area within a wellhead protection zone, the county’s ordinance prohibits outdoor commercial storage in that zoning district. Staff therefore recommended limiting outdoor storage and imposing conditions to reduce potential risk to groundwater.
Commission action and conditions: Commissioner Brad moved to approve the IUP; Commissioner Ashley seconded. The commission approved the permit by voice vote. The conditions adopted (and agreed to by the applicant) were:
1) The home occupation must comply with Clay County Development Ordinance home‑occupation standards.
2) The interim‑use permit terminates automatically upon change of property ownership.
3) Employees are limited to household members plus up to 15 additional nonfamily employees unless the applicant provides an approved plan demonstrating adequate employee parking and mitigation of impacts.
4) Outdoor storage accessory to the commercial use is prohibited; all commercial storage must occur indoors.
Why it matters: The permit formalizes an existing after‑the‑fact operation while adding controls—especially a prohibition on outdoor commercial storage—because the site is within a wellhead protection area where spills or stored chemicals pose a higher risk of contaminating groundwater. Staff noted there were no public or township objections recorded in the meeting minutes.
Enforcement and next steps: Staff will record the permit with the adopted conditions and monitor compliance; the applicant affirmed acceptance of the conditions at the hearing.
