Planning Commission recommends against AK Investments’ hog-barn special exemption; Rock County to hold public hearing

Rock County officials recorded a Planning Commission recommendation on Oct. 15 to not approve a Special Exemption permit submitted by AK Investments for a hog barn in rural Rock County. Assessor and Zoning Administrator TJ Ellermeier presented the recommendation to the county board and said the Planning Commission’s motion (recorded in that body) cited two primary concerns: the area’s sandy soils with drainage problems and the location’s exposure to a 100-year flood risk.

The Planning Commission’s recorded action was described in county minutes as a motion by Kent Smith and seconded by Corey Frizzell recommending the County Board not approve the permit. No decision on the permit was made at the Oct. 15 county meeting; the board said a public hearing will be scheduled in November so the county attorney can attend and advise the board.

The minutes do not provide additional technical studies or engineered floodplain analyses; the Planning Commission's reasons were limited to the two concerns recorded in the motion. The applicant is listed as AK Investments; the minutes do not include the applicant’s representative statement or a formal response to the Planning Commission’s recommendation.

The board’s next step is to hold a public hearing in November where the application, technical evidence and legal considerations will be formally considered. The minutes do not record a final decision or a date for the hearing beyond “sometime in November.”