Commission recommends approval for variance allowing larger accessory barn on 70‑acre Rum River parcel

The Oak Grove Planning Commission voted Feb. 20 to recommend that the City Council approve a variance permitting additional accessory buildings and greater total accessory square footage for a large parcel on Rum River Boulevard NW owned by Lisa and Michael Hovind.

The commission’s motion, made by Commissioner Farah and seconded by Commissioner Hall, passed unanimously. The commission’s approval will be transmitted to the City Council for final action; the commission and staff said they will tidy application exhibits and include findings about future subdivision impacts in the record.

Why it matters: The applicants requested an exception to the city’s accessory-building limitations for lots greater than certain acreage thresholds so the Hovinds can build a barn with stalls for up to six horses, including animals that require medical care or special handling. Owners said the barn will be sited centrally on the roughly 70‑acre parcel and will not be visible from public right-of-way.

Applicant Lisa Hovind described the property and the project’s purpose: “My goal is to give horses that have been abused, injured, elderly, or ones that people no longer want a forever home, that they can live out their lives being taken care of and worked with how they choose.” She told the commission she intends to keep the animals safe at night and design the barn with Dutch doors so stalls can be open on top while animals are secure inside.

Staff and commissioners discussed three technical clarifications: the parcel’s size (shown in staff materials as approximately 70 acres), a discrepancy between plan sheet labels for the proposed structure (exhibits variously showed 36 by 60 and 60 by 50), and whether eaves and lean‑tos should count toward the maximum square footage. Claire Stickler and Lauren (city staff) noted that writing in the record should disambiguate the final building dimensions and confirm how eaves/overhangs are measured under code.

Commissioners and staff also recommended that the approval record include a clear finding that if the property is ever subdivided in the future the accessory structures may need to be removed or the lots adjusted to meet city standards. Planning staff said the code already requires properties brought forward for subdivision to be brought into conformance, and commissioners asked that the motion’s final paperwork explicitly remind future owners of that requirement.

The application received required notice to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources because the parcel lies within the Scenic Rivers District; staff reported no responses from noticed agencies or neighbors in the record. Because the planning commission recommended approval unanimously, the item will be placed on the City Council consent agenda for final action unless pulled.