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Goodhue County board approves plat and rezoning for Oman property after public hearing
Summary
The Goodhue County Board approved a preliminary and final plat and rezoned 5 acres from R‑1 to A‑2 for an Oman property, adopting staff findings of fact; staff and commissioners discussed shoreland restrictions and contractor‑yard limits.
The Goodhue County Board on Thursday approved a preliminary and final plat and a rezoning request for a parcel owned by Oman Farms LLC, adopting staff findings of fact into the record.
Planning staff Sam described the request as a dual action: a combined preliminary and final plat and a map amendment to rezone 5 acres from R‑1 (residential) to A‑2 (general agriculture). Staff told commissioners the Planning Commission had unanimously recommended adoption of the staff report and approval of the map amendment. "The preliminary and final plat was prepared by Johnson Scofield," Sam told the board and asked that the findings of fact be adopted with any approving motion.
Why it matters: the rezoning will combine a 5‑acre residential parcel with adjacent agricultural land to form a roughly 32.2‑acre lot. Commissioners focused on how that change affects the count of buildable sites, setback conformity when moving land from R‑1 to A‑2, and whether existing small outbuildings would be nonconforming after rezoning.
Applicant Bruce (transcript shows both "Bruce Oman" and "Bruce Ollman"/"Ullman") told the board he is acquiring part of the family farm and intends to farm the land himself. "I want just to have one parcel and be able to keep my farm equipment and stuff on my 5 acres by my shop," he said on the record. A nearby neighbor, Sue Miska, spoke in support of the contractor business on the lot.
Commissioners and staff noted the property includes a portion subject to a shoreland overlay designated by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Staff said the shoreland designation remains in force regardless of county zoning and that a contractor's yard is not permitted in shoreland without additional approvals. Sam said keeping a contractor's yard in place would likely require a variance, a conditional‑use permit and coordination with the DNR; small movable structures could be relocated to meet setbacks.
The board first voted to approve the preliminary and final plat and to adopt the staff findings of fact; later it voted to rezone the 5 acres to A‑2 provided the site complies with A‑2 zoning requirements when rezoned. Both motions passed by voice vote.
