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County board remands proposed confined beef feedlot to planning commission after residents raise odor concerns
Summary
The board sent a conditional-use permit application for a confined beef feedlot back to the planning commission, requesting more specific findings and conditions addressing odor mitigation and buffer protections after public concerns were raised.
The Kandiyohi County Board on April 15 remanded to the planning commission a conditional-use permit for a proposed confined beef feedlot described by staff as a nearly 1,000-animal-unit, three-phased, total-confinement beef facility west of Highway 71 in Colfax Township.
Zoning Administrator Eric Van Dyken summarized the proposal and noted the planning commission had recommended approval with four conditions. Commissioners and members of the public expressed concerns about potential odors, cumulative impacts with nearby livestock operations and the clarity of conditions in the planning findings. Commissioner Rendeck (member of planning and zoning) moved to remand the CUP to the planning commission for more explicit mitigation measures, citing the need for clearer language on odor controls, vegetation windbreaks and other measures; the board voted to remand the item and asked planning staff to return with more specific findings.
What the planning commission will reconsider: The board requested more explicit identification of the "adequate measures" cited in planning findings — for example, whether tree buffers, barn ventilation design, manure storage type and other engineering or operational controls will be required as conditions.
Why it matters: County zoning balances agricultural production and rural residential livability. Commissioners said they wanted to preserve that balance and to ensure conditions are enforceable and transparent for nearby residents.
Speakers - Eric Van Dyken, Zoning Administrator, Kandiyohi County - Several county commissioners (including Commissioner Rendeck and Commissioner Berg) and members of the public had addressed the planning commission record previously and raised concerns.
Next steps: The board administratively extended the decision timeline and directed the planning commission to review the record and return with clarified findings and recommended conditions that more specifically address odor mitigation and buffer responsibilities. The county will notify the applicant of the remand and any schedule for reconsideration.
Sources: Kandiyohi County Board of Commissioners transcript, April 15, 2025.
