Planning commission recommends Lauer beef operation expansion in shoreland overlay with management conditions

Stearns County planning commissioners on June 26 recommended approval of a conditional use permit for an expansion of a beef cattle operation owned by Gerald and Suzanne Lauer (applicants Joel and Susan Lauer appeared) at a Clearwater area property that includes land in the 300‑foot shoreland overlay.

The proposal seeks to construct two total confinement barns (one of them—Barn No. 8—lies within the shoreland overlay) and an attached open lot, plus three rotating open lots to the north (labeled 9a, 9b and 9c). The feedlot permit application requests an increase to 291 animal units composed in staff materials of roughly 100 slaughter steers, 120 beef cow–calf pairs, 100 feeder cattle and one horse. The combined parcel acreage described in staff materials is roughly 360 acres; the original feedlot registration…