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Rice County board approves a solar interim use permit and denies a shoreline exemption amendment
Summary
The board approved an interim-use permit for a solar facility in Morristown Township and voted to deny a proposed zoning-ordinance amendment that would have exempted structures on licensed resorts from shoreline planned-unit-development rules; the DNR had recommended denial of the latter.
Rice County planning staff presented several land‑use items Jan. 27, and the board took two substantive actions: it approved an interim-use permit for a proposed solar energy facility and denied a zoning‑ordinance amendment that county staff and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources recommended against.
Julie Runkel, environmental and planning staff, told commissioners the interim-use request from New Leaf Energy (on behalf of Poplar Grove LLC and Richard Nielsen) in Section 23 of Morristown Township had been before the board previously and returned to the Planning Commission for a public hearing. The Planning Commission recommended approval with ten conditions. The board moved to approve the interim‑use permit as recommended by the Planning Commission.
On a separate item, staff summarized a proposed amendment from John Wyndham (on behalf of Roy Wyndham) that would have added an exemption for existing structures on licensed resorts to the Rice County Shoreline Planned Unit Development process, so long as overall density and setbacks did not change. Runkel and other staff warned the change could broadly allow conversions that increase nonconformity; the DNR supplied a written recommendation opposing the amendment as drafted. Commissioners noted alternative avenues already exist for site‑specific relief through the county’s shoreland planning processes. The board voted to deny the ordinance amendment consistent with the Planning Commission recommendation and the DNR letter.
What happened next: For the contractor‑spec complex proposal and a separate rezoning request (Minnesota Landscape LLC et al.), the board set public hearings for March 5, 2026, to allow additional review and public notice.
Votes and procedure: Motions on both the solar interim‑use permit and the resort exemption amendment were moved, seconded and decided in open session; the board recorded vocal and roll‑call affirmations during each vote.
