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Planning commission recommends approval of Storm family CAFO expansion, with setback variances
Summary
The Davison County Planning Commission recommended that the Board of Adjustment approve Jakob and Ryan Storm’s conditional use permit to expand a concentrated animal feeding operation from 1,920 to 3,000 animal units; state permitting is pending and the commission also recommended setback variances to retain existing barn spacing.
The Davison County Planning Commission on May 5 recommended that the Board of Adjustment approve a conditional use permit for Jakob and Ryan Storm to expand an existing concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) from 1,920 animal units (AU) to 3,000 AU, the commission recorded. Acting Director of Planning & Zoning Karen Wegleitner told the commission she had received only one public inquiry and no formal objections to the project.
The expansion proposal would add a 2,400‑head finishing barn (reported as 960 AU) on the northwest quarter of Section 19 in Baker Township and a 1,200‑head nursery barn (120 AU) on the southeast quarter of Section 19 in Tobin Township. Together the new barns account for the 1,080 AU increase the applicants seek; state permits for the structures are in process, Wegleitner said.
The Storms also requested variances to the county’s CAFO setback requirement, asking to place new barns roughly 100 feet from adjacent property lines where the agricultural district standard for CAFOs is 300 feet. Jakob Storm told the commission the placement was intended to keep spacing consistent with three existing barns on the operation and to preserve surrounding cropland. The commission indicated it had no issues with the requested variances and voted to recommend approval.
The commission’s recommendation on the conditional use permit was made on a motion by Mike Blaalid, seconded by Lewis Bainbridge; the roll call recorded six ayes and one absence. A subsequent motion to recommend approval of Ryan Storm’s variance recorded one dissenting vote (Ray Gosmire voted nay) but carried on the roll call.
Why it matters: enlarging a CAFO changes the number of animals on-site and can raise questions about manure management, odor, traffic, and state permitting requirements. The Storms’ application remains subject to state review and to final action by the Board of Adjustment.
Next steps: The Board of Adjustment will consider the commission’s recommendation; state permits remain pending, and final construction cannot proceed until those approvals are granted.
