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Greeley County approves Wlaschin Cattle feedlot expansion with conditions; impact-easement language remains unsettled
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Summary
The board approved a Special Use Permit for Wlaschin Cattle, LLC to expand a feedlot with conditions including an NDEE-acceptable management plan and impact easements. Commissioners urged the Planning & Zoning Commission to finalize impact-easement language within 45 days; the board warned of a short moratorium on similar permits if the issue is not resolved.
The Greeley County Board of Commissioners voted March 29, 2022, to approve a Special Use Permit allowing Wlaschin Cattle, LLC to expand its feedlot from 1,000 to 2,500 head, subject to conditions the Planning & Zoning Commission attached.
During a public hearing the company’s attorney and engineers described recent construction at the facility — holding ponds, debris basins, diversion ditches and a lift station — and said no pen expansion had occurred. The Planning & Zoning Commission approved conditions that include compatibility findings, a management plan acceptable to the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) and filing impact easements with the register of deeds for neighbors within the odor footprint.
Commission Chairman Ken Ryan read the commission’s approved conditions; County Attorney Cindy Bassett and the board reviewed the Finding of Facts and implementation steps. Board members said they were satisfied the specific application met the conditions but voiced concern that countywide impact-easement language remains unresolved. The county’s statement, read by Chairman Foltz at the meeting, said the board considers the permit “a single event” and urged the Planning & Zoning Commission to recommend standard impact-easement language to the board within 45 days. The board also recommended a 60-day moratorium on SUPs that follow the same process if the P&Z Commission does not resolve the issue.
What the conditions require: among other items, the feedlot must operate under a Management Plan acceptable to NDEE and file any agreed impact easements in the register of deeds. The board’s approval was unanimous in the recorded roll-call vote.
Why it matters: Special Use Permits for concentrated feeding operations affect nearby landowners and rely on technical plans and state environmental review. The board’s directive to the Planning & Zoning Commission signals the county wants clearer, uniform standards before similar permits move forward.
Next steps: Planning & Zoning must finalize and forward impact-easement language to the County Board; the feedlot’s management plan must meet NDEE requirements and be filed in county records according to the conditions attached to the permit.