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Morrison County planning commission recommends approval of Warberg’s feedlot expansion with 50‑foot buffer
Summary
The Morrison County Planning Commission voted to recommend that the county board approve Hasten Warberg’s conditional‑use permit to add a second chicken barn (raising the operation to 420 animal units), attaching a condition requiring a 50‑foot grass buffer; the county board will consider the recommendation Feb. 24, 2026.
The Morrison County Planning Commission on Feb. 17 recommended that the county board approve a conditional‑use permit allowing resident Hasten Warberg to add a second chicken barn, expanding his existing operation to a reported total of 420 animal units. Commissioners attached one condition: a 50‑foot grass buffer around the new barn.
Amy, a land‑services staffer, told the commission the application covers three parcels totaling 75 acres and includes a good‑neighbor plan, odor‑minimization measures and a stormwater plan. Staff cited county ordinance sections 604.6 and 129 in reviewing the request and noted a 2025 variance that permits the new barn to sit 190 feet from the south property line. The application also relies on manure transfer agreements covering roughly 500 acres in Bu Platt and Green Prairie townships within Morrison County.
Commissioners asked how many acres were required to accommodate the manure from two barns; the applicant, Hasten Warberg, said he sells the manure and did not have an exact acreage calculation. Amy explained the feed‑lot officer’s review treats transferred manure differently from on‑site spreading plans, which is why the packet lacked a detailed acreage table. Commissioners described that explanation as somewhat vague but said site visits and environmental reviews eased concerns.
Commissioner Clint, who reviewed the environmental materials, said the site achieved a 97% offset rating in soils and water review and described existing infrastructure — a stacking slab and mortality shed — that would serve the expanded operation. Several commissioners who toured the site called the current operation “clean” and “well run,” remarks that were offered in support of approval.
A commissioner moved to recommend approval to the county board with the single condition requiring a 50‑foot grass buffer around the new barn; the motion was seconded and carried. The commission answered the five required findings affirmatively (no excessive burden on public facilities or roads, not detrimental to nearby properties, consistency with land use and zoning, and alignment with the county comprehensive/water plan). The county board is scheduled to consider the planning commission’s recommendation on Feb. 24, 2026.
Clarifying details recorded in the hearing: staff and the applicant reported a total of 420 proposed animal units; the staff report references a tier‑2 feedlot definition that was transcribed inconsistently in the packet. The feed‑lot officer’s acreage calculations for manure spreading were not provided in the packet because the applicant uses transfer agreements to off‑haul manure; commissioners requested clearer documentation on this point before final county board action.
The commission also approved minutes from its Nov. 25 meeting and heard a staff notice that county leadership has directed a review of the comprehensive plan and a draft interim ordinance related to renewable energy, which staff said would appear in coming months.
