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Planning commission approves Born Trager Dairy farm store expansion with waivers for paving, parking and loading
Summary
Reno County Planning Commission unanimously approved a conditional use permit allowing Born Trager Dairy to tear down an existing calf building and build a larger farm retail store to sell on‑farm and off‑site farm products, granting waivers for parking count, paving and loading space and attaching seven staff conditions.
Lloyd Born Trager, owner of Born Trager Dairy, told the Reno County Planning Commission that he intends to replace an old calf building with a new farm retail store at 10610 South Halstead Street to sell dairy products, eggs, meats, honey and other farm‑focused goods. He said the new store would include a freezer/cooler area and a processing/pack/wash space for on‑farm packaging.
Born Trager said the proposed building footprint shown in testimony was “50 by 90” and that the plan would shift customer traffic to a new driveway to separate customers from his personal driveway. He said the operation currently serves customers primarily in afternoon hours but with a larger store he may expand hours to roughly 8 a.m.–5 p.m. on six days per week.
On sourcing and inspection, Born Trager said meat would be processed at USDA facilities and returned for sale, and that meat inspections occur annually. He also said state regulations limit raw milk sales to on‑farm locations; the applicant said he would comply with any additional retail licensing required.
Staff reported a clerical error in the legal notice: the published township number was incorrect (published as T22S; correct township is T24S). Staff said other notice elements (owner name, address, parcel ID and the nature of the request) were correct and that the error did not invalidate the hearing. Planner Mark Wnuk reviewed site constraints, noted existing lagoons and discussed options for wastewater disposal, and recommended approval based on ten staff factors with seven conditions. Staff also noted that county regulations would generally require 23 parking spaces for the proposed retail area; the applicant proposed installing 11–13 spaces and requested a waiver from the parking and paving requirements and from the loading‑space requirement.
No written responses were received in advance of the hearing. Commissioners asked about parking circulation and surfacing; Born Trager said parking would be asphalt millings with room for vehicle turning and overflow parking if needed. After discussion, a commissioner moved to approve case 2026‑02 and to grant waivers from Article 10‑101 (parking count), Article 10‑105.1 (paving requirement) and Article 11‑101 (loading space). The motion was seconded and passed on roll call: Nisely Yes; Graham Yes; Shafer Yes; Seltzer Yes; Natland Yes; Martin Yes; Andersen Yes.
The approval is subject to staff‑recommended conditions, including compliance with development as described in the plan of operation, lighting controls, limitations on outside displays and compliance with federal, state and local regulations. Staff and the applicant discussed wastewater/lagoons and county staff indicated they had been in communication with KDH about lagoon use and alternative disposal options.
Next steps: the commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the Reno County Commissioners after the protest period; interested parties may file a protest petition under KSA 12‑757 within 14 days of the Planning Commission decision.
