Commission asks staff to rewrite veterinary‑clinic interim‑use ordinance after wide public input

The Sherburne County Planning Commission on Wednesday declined to make a final recommendation on a proposed ordinance amendment to add veterinary clinics as an interim use, instead tabling the item and directing staff to refine the draft after extensive public comment.

Mark Schneider, planning and zoning staff, summarized the proposal: the draft would add veterinary clinics as an interim use in agricultural, general rural and commercial districts and relies on the interim‑use permit (IUP) process to tailor conditions to the scale and type of practice. Schneider told commissioners staff received 34–37 public comments (25 before the board packet, 12 more afterward) and that townships generally supported adding the use while some suggested different minimum lot sizes.

Dr. Ashley Anderson, the applicant, told the commission she operates primarily as a single‑doctor equine practice and that an interim‑use permit would allow conditions appropriate to a small outpatient practice. "I think the IUP would be more specific for what you're looking for," she said, describing solo ambulatory and small outpatient models as distinct from multi‑doctor referral hospitals.

Public testimony split along use‑scale lines: several nearby boarding operations and owners said Dr. Andersons practice could function on a 5‑acre IUP because animals are typically brought in and leave the same day; others with long experience in the equine industry urged a 10‑acre minimum for large‑animal clinics to ensure setbacks, traffic control and biosecurity. Anne Felber, who said she has 30 years in the industry, urged a 10‑acre minimum and stronger setback and screening rules to guard against disease spread.

Commissioners discussed tiered options (small/medium/large clinics), homestead requirements for IUPs, employee and structure‑size caps (the possibility of aligning small‑animal limits with home‑business rules such as a 1,500–1,800 sq ft cap and a two full‑time equivalent employee limit), manure management plans, and whether the draft should include explicit animal unit thresholds. Commissioners said they had more technical questions than time to resolve and that the public comments contained useful detail.

The commission voted to table the ordinance amendment and asked staff to work with the applicant on a refined draft that distinguishes clinic types, clarifies lot‑size thresholds and setback standards, and returns for further review. Staff and commissioners emphasized that any future IUP application would still require separate permitting and conditional review.