Planning Commission recommends denial of Tyson rural tourism/event‑center conditional use permit amid neighbor and township noise concerns

The Stearns County Planning Commission on Oct. 16 voted to recommend denial of a conditional use permit (CUP) for a proposed rural tourism venue and event center on County Road 160 in St. Joseph Township submitted by Todd and Sarah Tyson.

The Tysons sought county approval to operate a mixed-use rural tourism business that staff described as centered on a multi‑purpose hub building (the "hub"), occasional outdoor music, several lodging units (six tiny-home lots, two small cabins and an accessible lodging unit in the hub), and the occasional allowance of up to four self‑contained RVs in the parking lot for events. Heidi, Stearns County Environmental Services staff, summarized proposed conditions including licenses and plumbing review, construction permits and erosion control, lighting and parking standards, Americans with Disabilities Act compliance, and operational limits. The staff draft limited days and hours: hub operations 8 a.m.–10 p.m.; up to 10 special events per year (no more than two in a month) with special-event hours 8…