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Planning commission backs Schutz proposal for two‑barn poultry feedlot; requires 50‑foot buffer
Summary
The commission recommended approval of a conditional use permit for Jordan and Anna Schutz to build two chicken barns on two adjacent parcels (80 acres total), attaching a 50‑foot vegetation buffer as the condition.
The Morrison County Planning Commission on Oct. 14 recommended approval of a conditional use permit for Jordan and Anna Schutz to construct a tier‑2 poultry feedlot consisting of two chicken barns on two adjacent parcels totaling about 80 acres, with a single condition requiring a 50‑foot vegetation buffer around the barns.
Amy, Land Services planner, said the two parcels together total about 80 acres, half of which is in cropping, and that the applicants plan to construct a stacking slab with the barns. The Soil and Water Conservation District reviewed the site and found it suitable for a tier‑2 feedlot and noted that setbacks are met. Public works and the SWCD had approved a driveway entrance to serve the barns.
Why it matters: Commissioners discussed setbacks, manure management and the potential for the feedlot residence to meet setbacks when the parcels are considered separately; staff advised that if the parcels were sold separately in the future the parcels would need to be sold together or the residence would have to meet setback rules.
The applicants told the commission they plan to transfer all manure to a broker listed in their manure management plan and said they would construct a covered stacking slab at the time of barn construction and are pursuing any required DNR water‑appropriation permits. Commissioners noted the site carries a 98% offset rating and that most neighbors live more than half a mile away; one commissioner said the nearest residence is roughly 1,320 feet distant.
During the review of required criteria commissioners asked whether the parcels would be combined; applicants said they own both parcels and understood they would need to be sold together if they ever separated them. The commission discussed whether to condition the stacking slab construction; because soils were judged suitable and the applicants planned to build the slab immediately, commissioners did not add that as a separate condition.
The commission voted to recommend approval to the County Board with one condition: maintain a 50‑foot grass buffer around the barns. The motion to recommend approval with the single condition was made and seconded; recorded votes were unanimous in favor. The County Board will consider the commission’s recommendation at its Oct. 21 meeting.
