Corcoran — The City Council on Monday adopted a zoning ordinance amendment to allow agribusiness and agrotourism uses in the rural residential district, approving performance standards and an interim-use process after council members tightened noise and parking provisions.

Planning staff presented the ordinance as a response to a specific request by property owners (Margaret and John Fernandez) who want to operate a wine-tasting room at 23020 County Road 30. Planning staff said existing code did not accommodate the proposed operation under conditional home-occupation or event-center categories.

The draft ordinance defines agribusiness/agrotourism as linking agricultural production or processing with tourism to attract visitors for education or entertainment. The ordinance sets performance standards including a minimum parcel size (4 acres, reduced from an earlier 5-acre proposal), on-site parking to meet zoning standards, setbacks for outdoor activities (100 feet from adjacent residences), and limits on outdoor lighting (no more than 0.1 foot-candle measured at the property line).

On amplified sound, council members asked for tighter controls. Councilor Dean moved to amend performance standard 6(c) so that music events or amplified-sound events require a sound-waiver permit and council approval rather than the draft language that would have allowed music on weekends and holidays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. That amendment passed. Planning staff agreed to allow limited routine announcements and low-level ambient music but to require council review for formal music events or amplified performances.

Council also added discretion for gravel seasonal parking: council and the city engineer may permit gravel parking lots for seasonal agribusiness activities, subject to engineering standards in subdivision code (referenced as 1060.060 Subd. 3(b) in staff discussion). Staff noted permanent uses that exceed seasonal needs would likely need paved parking.

The council voted to adopt ordinance 2025-552, summary ordinance 2025-553, and resolution 2025-69 (as listed in the agenda packet) and approved the interim-use approach recommended by planning staff. Dwight (planning staff) and others answered council questions about noise, parking, parking surface, kennel provisions in the code, and traffic monitoring for nuisance complaints.

Council members discussed whether 4 acres was adequate for events; several said 5 acres would be preferable for event centers, but the council adopted the 4-acre minimum to allow flexibility for smaller agribusiness operations such as farm stands or producers selling direct from the site.

The ordinance requires agribusinesses to comply with the city's zoning performance standards and to obtain an interim-use permit; staff will bring permit requests and any sound-waiver requests to council for review under the amended standard.