The Scott County Board of Commissioners on July 22, 2025, approved Resolution 2025-180 to amend a conditional use permit for Mid America Festivals Corporation, allowing the Renaissance Festival to increase daily on-site parking passes from 7,000 to 7,700 and permitting the professional parking operator to “backfill” or replenish sold-but-unused on-site parking at any time; the measure passed 4-1.

County planning director Brad Davis told the board the festival’s permit — first issued in 1982 and repeatedly amended — includes 40 conditions and that the amendments being considered today would change condition 32, which governs on-site parking. Davis said Mid America submitted required annual operation plans for 2025 and that the request responds in part to a roughly 10% “no-show” rate among pre-purchased parking passes.

The change matters because the festival is large, draws thousands of vehicles on peak days, and sits between State Highway 41 and U.S. Highway 169 near the Minnesota River. Staff and outside consultants have modeled site capacity at about 8,000 physical parking stalls across the Kings and Queens lots; the county’s 7,000 cap was earlier chosen to reduce risk of traffic backing onto public roadways and to protect bus transit access and emergency vehicle movement.

Board discussion summarized three main positions that emerged in the public record and at the dais. County staff recommended denying both amendments, arguing the requests run counter to the 2022 objective of prioritizing transit and reducing on-site vehicle growth; staff also flagged uncertainty about a new composting facility that may add 100–200 large commercial trucks on Saturdays and complicate north entrance traffic. The Louisville Township and the Planning Commission both recommended approval with conditions: the township endorsed a one-year trial with safeguards, and the planning commission voted 6–1 to approve the changes while including language allowing staff to revoke the 2025 allowance if the changes create backups.

Consultants and the festival’s parking operator told the board their on-site data and two years of operation suggest the additional capacity and the right to backfill are needed to keep vehicles off adjacent highways. John Matzko of SRF Consulting said the operation’s data show pre-sold passes do not equal vehicles physically on-site at any one time: “We have not had 7,000 on-site park permanently.” Tony Janowick, CEO of Interstate Parking, said of the time restriction that previously limited backfilling: “This is the only large event venue that I've ever heard of that has a time restriction to backfilling.” Captain Steve Collins of the sheriff’s office described the immediate on‑scene response the sheriff’s office would take if backups developed: “The first thing we would do in that scenario is work with interstate parking and come up with a plan.”

The board’s resolution includes safeguard language giving county staff discretionary authority to revoke the 2025 allowance and revert condition 32 to its prior limits (7,000 maximum and a 1:30 p.m. backfill start) if staff determines the changes cause backups. Commissioners also noted that condition 33 of the permit already gives the board the authority to reopen and amend the permit before the next season.

The applicant withdrew a separate earlier request to utilize the Green Ferry lot after receiving a comment letter from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community asking for an archeological review and raising other concerns; that withdrawal is in the public record. The board and presenters also noted transit ridership as a performance metric: Mid America reported 23.4% of patrons used transit in 2024 (22% in 2023), and Southwest Transit plans a Labor Day service addition for 2025.

The board voted on a motion to adopt Resolution 2025-180; the motion and second were recorded in the minutes but the transcript does not identify the mover and seconder by name. The resolution passed 4–1.

The change is effective for the 2025 festival season subject to the safeguard language that allows immediate revocation by county staff if operational conditions create public roadway backups. Commissioners and staff said they expect active day‑of coordination among festival operators, Interstate Parking, the sheriff’s office and county staff, and emphasized that transit promotion remains a priority.

Planning and sheriff’s staff said they will monitor the 2025 season and report problems so the board can act if needed.