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Commission discusses CAFO setbacks, Summit Pipeline concerns and wind ordinance review; delays action until after legislature
Summary
Davison County planning staff and commissioners reviewed potential ordinance changes for CAFOs, pipelines (including the proposed Summit Pipeline) and wind energy systems, deciding not to change CAFO setbacks, to leave pipeline negotiation to landowners and companies for now, and to revisit a draft wind ordinance in April after staff review.
Davison County Administrator Jeff Bathke briefed the Planning Commission on Jan. 7 about potential ordinance updates covering concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), pipelines and wind energy systems.
On CAFOs, Bathke reviewed existing locations and distances from residences and the commission decided not to recommend any changes to setback distances; staff will continue to work with applicants to find suitable locations before items reach the commission.
Regarding pipelines, Bathke explained the proposed Summit Pipeline route and said most affected landowners provided positive input while one neighbor about a half-mile away had concerns. Commissioners discussed whether setback restrictions should apply to all hazardous pipelines rather than singling out CO2 lines; the body concluded pipeline negotiations should primarily occur between companies and landowners. The commission decided to wait until after the state legislative session to see if any state-level regulations emerge before proposing county-level setbacks.
On wind energy systems, Bathke summarized a previously drafted wind-energy ordinance that was not implemented and noted Davison County currently lacks a wind-energy section in the zoning ordinance. The commission agreed to revisit the draft in April to allow Planning & Zoning staff time to review ordinance formatting and correct errors.
No motions were made to change ordinance language at the meeting; the discussion closed with direction to monitor legislative developments and to return to wind-energy language in April.
