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Morris council approves conditional use permit for Denco 2 LLC rail spur
Summary
The Morris City Council unanimously approved a conditional use permit for Denco 2 LLC to construct a rail spur and formalize existing corn storage and a scale house in a heavy industrial zone; staff said MnDOT awarded a $1 million grant to build the siding that will connect to BNSF.
The Morris City Council on April 28 approved a conditional use permit that clears the way for Denco 2 LLC to build a private rail spur and regularize nonconforming corn storage and a scale house in the city’s heavy industrial zoning district. City staff said the Planning Commission recommended approval and that the Minnesota Department of Transportation provided a $1 million grant for construction of the new siding connecting to the BNSF main line.
City staff told the council the Planning Commission had reviewed the CUP and that the company’s representatives addressed questions from the commission and from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. The staff recommendation asked the council to approve the CUP “without conditions to allow for the construction of a railroad spur track to use for the storage of rail cars and to ship ethanol and other ethanol byproducts,” and to approve the existing corn storage and scale house as legal nonconforming uses.
The council conducted a roll-call vote after a brief discussion. Clerk Carolina recorded affirmative votes from Councilmember Solvie, Dolan, Wollaston and Miller; Mayor Wollaston also voted yes.
Staff noted the MnDOT grant will fund track installation, switches, grading and a rail-car loading area to accelerate on‑site loading and rail shipment. Council members described the project as supportive of local industrial activity and said the CUP was the next step following recent rezoning in the area.
The resolution passed and staff will proceed with the permit process and coordination with state and railroad partners.
What’s next: city staff will follow up on permit paperwork and coordinate with MnDOT and BNSF for construction scheduling and any required state-level approvals.
