The Stearns County Planning Commission on Oct. 23 recommended the County Board approve a conditional use permit for a feedlot at 13942 260 Second Street, Cold Spring, allowing an animal-unit configuration that is subject to state review because the site exceeds 500 animal units and lies within the Saint Joseph Drinking Water Supply Management Area.

Why it matters: The farm operates within a public water-supply management area, so the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) must issue the state feedlot permit side of the application. County staff reported the facility has been registered with the county since 1998 and that recent inspections by county staff and MPCA found the operation compliant with water quality discharge requirements; outstanding recordkeeping issues were corrected prior to the planning hearing.

Key facts: Staff told the commission the property is 191 acres in an A-40 zoning district; the historic maximum was recorded at 895 animal units under a 2020 conditional-use permit. The applicant’s current registration earlier this year listed 882 animal units. The joint county/state permit application was submitted Sept. 12, 2025; the manure management plan (MMP) was submitted Sept. 11, 2025 and is under MPCA review.

Proposed change: The application submitted a proposed animal-unit mix; staff summarized the applicant’s proposed increase at the hearing (application materials list the change and the MMP submitted to MPCA). Because the facility is over 500 animal units and in the DWSMA, MPCA will issue the state permit. County staff presented the required 14-day comment responses and said the Stearns Conservation District flagged no concerns about application of manure to land under state and local rules if the manure is applied in accordance with regulations.

Local impacts and compliance: Staff noted there are 61 residences within a one-mile radius of the proposed feedlot areas and eight registered feedlots in the same radius; the closest residence was listed as about 417 feet away. County and MPCA inspections in August found the facility compliant for water-quality discharge requirements; the owners were initially noncompliant on recordkeeping but submitted required records with their MMP.

Decision and conditions: The commission voted to recommend approval of the conditional use permit as presented, with two conditions carried forward from the 2020 permit: (1) the applicant shall construct improvements according to approved plans and specifications unless otherwise approved by the department; and (2) the applicant shall contact Environmental Services within three days of construction completion so staff can complete a post-construction inspection. The commission’s motion passed and the matter will be scheduled for County Board consideration Nov. 4. The MPCA review and permit issuance are separate steps that must occur before construction begins.

What remains: The MPCA continues to review the MMP and the state-construction short form permit will be required because of the site’s size and location inside the DWSMA. The county will not issue construction approval before the MPCA permit is issued. No written public comments were received by staff before the hearing.