Morrison County planning panel fails to recommend approval of amended conditions for Autumn Hills treatment center

MORRISON COUNTY, Minn. — The Morrison County Planning Commission on June 23 declined to recommend approval of a request by Long Prairie Project Associates to amend conditions on an interim use permit for the Autumn Hills residential treatment center, sending a recommendation to deny to the County Board.

Amy (Land Services staff) told the commission the facility was built and is under state licensing review, and the applicant sought to remove three conditions from the IUP issued Jan. 19, 2021 that tie ongoing reporting and termination triggers to an individual named in the original permit. The staff report cited county ordinance section 506.5F as the authority for amending existing interim use permits.

The applicant’s representatives — consultant Lance Muscara, attorney Karen Olsen (Spencer Feain LLP) and Nick Mo, vice president of Ascension Recovery Services, the operator — said the proposed change would let the entity or a titled position (for example, an executive director or CEO) fulfill annual reporting duties and provide continuity as the facility moves from development into operation. Nick Mo said Ascension is managing the project until a local executive director is hired shortly before state licensing is finalized.

Neighbors who live near the site told the commission they oppose removing conditions that were originally tied to the self‑identified individual who had promised to be a local point of contact. Dean Robinson, a Long Prairie resident, said neighbors were reassured by that personal commitment and accused successive owners of failing to meet earlier expectations: "You guys promised these conditions and when they weren't being met, we would start over," he said, adding that repeated changes have left neighbors without confidence in enforcement.

Other residents cited safety and family concerns. Jesse Evans, who operates a family child care nearby, said, "I have young children … I'm supposed to be afraid with this up the road," and urged the commission to consider neighborhood impacts. Another commenter asked why a detox area appears configured at the site when earlier statements indicated detox services would be provided elsewhere.

Commission members focused on accountability and on how to tie any ongoing permit conditions to an entity or position rather than a single person. Staff and the applicant suggested replacing the individual name with Long Prairie Project Associates or a title such as the facility’s executive director or Ascension’s CEO, and adding a requirement that Land Services be notified of any change in the named contact within 30 days. Commissioners also discussed using triggers aligned with state licensing rules (for example, a change in controlling ownership that would require re‑licensing) as a condition for permit termination.

When commissioners moved to vote on a motion to recommend approval of the amended conditions, the motion did not pass. The transcript records named commissioners voting against the motion; the chair announced the Planning Commission’s recommendation to the County Board will be to deny the requested amendments. The County Board meeting was set for July 14, 2026.

The hearing record and public comments make clear that neighbors remain opposed and that the Planning Commission’s majority was not persuaded that replacing a named individual with an entity or title offered adequate local accountability. The commission closed the public hearing after taking public comment and then considered the required findings of fact under Minnesota statute and Morrison County ordinance before voting.

Next procedural steps: the Planning Commission's recommendation (to deny) will be forwarded to the Morrison County Board of Commissioners for final consideration at its July 14, 2026 meeting. The applicant and staff indicated they will provide ownership information and a named contact or title for the record prior to that meeting.