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Meeker County approves Ruby Dairy feedlot expansion and three plats, adds road and dust conditions
Summary
The board granted a conditional use permit for Ruby Dairy to expand to 2,482 animal units and approved a rezoning, preliminary plat and final plat for separate property applications; county placed conditions on dust control and road restoration.
The Meeker County Board of Commissioners approved multiple land-use applications at its Sept. 16 meeting, including a conditional use permit for a large feedlot expansion and three separate plat/rezoning requests.
Greg Schultz, Land Use Director, presented the items and described a requested feedlot expansion for Ruby Dairy (CUP 16652) at a site in Danielson Township. Schultz said the permit would increase the operation from the previously permitted 1,496 animal units to 2,482 animal units, add a 122-by-448-foot freestall barn, a 50-by-200-foot calf barn and other additions, and expand the earthen manure basin from an estimated 8,000,000 gallons to approximately 21,000,000 gallons of storage.
During the public hearing, residents from Danielson Township raised concerns about dust control and the impact of construction traffic on gravel township roads. The board adopted specific conditions requiring maintenance of dust control measures during construction and restoration and continued maintenance of the gravel roads connecting to the site, including a requirement that roads be returned to their pre-construction condition and maintained thereafter.
Nut graf: The three land-use actions were presented consecutively by the Land Use Department and approved after staff described site history, wetlands and soils reviews and proposed conditions. Commissioners and neighbors focused discussion on construction impacts, long-term manure storage increases and local road repair responsibilities.
Other land-use approvals at the meeting included: a rezoning application (16650) and a one-lot preliminary plat (16651) for Laughlin Acres (a 3.3-acre parcel on the west side of Little Swan Lake in Dassel Township) and the final plat for Lundin Hills Addition (a three-lot plat on the west side of Lake Koronis in Dassel Township). County staff reported soils and title work had been reviewed and that Dassel Township had no comment on the projects at the time of the hearings. Each of those motions carried on voice vote.
Ending: The board approved the conditional use permit with conditions intended to minimize construction dust and protect township road budgets, and it approved the plats and rezoning as recommended by county planning staff. Staff will monitor permit compliance and follow up on required road restoration work if construction proceeds.
