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Board approves Swin Ridge LLC 1,920-animal CAFO with screening and road conditions
Summary
The Davison County Board of Adjustment voted 5-0 on June 9 to grant Swin Ridge LLC a conditional-use permit for a 1,920-animal unit concentrated animal feeding operation in the Agricultural District, requiring three rows of fast-growing trees to be planted and a township road maintenance agreement.
The Davison County Board of Adjustment approved a conditional-use permit on June 9 for Swin Ridge LLC to construct a 1,920-animal unit concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) in the Agricultural District (NW 1/4 of Section 33, T103N, R61W). The Planning Commission had recommended approval with conditions; the board voted 5-0 on a motion moved by Nebelsick and seconded by Claggett.
The approval included two recorded conditions in the meeting minutes: the applicant must plant and maintain a minimum of three rows of fast-growing trees as a screening measure for the life of the operation, and must follow the new township road maintenance agreement. The minutes note public opposition: Jane Rhodes said the odor and proximity would reduce surrounding property values and asked whether taxes would be reduced if values declined; Jason Rhodes questioned the longevity and maintenance of fast-growing tree screening; and Mike Music, who operates a nearby dog kennel, expressed concerns about odors affecting his business and raised potential health concerns about gases from the facility. The minutes record no rebuttal or mitigation commitments beyond the tree-screening and road-agreement conditions.
The conditional-use decision was taken under sections 3:04(10) and 3:10 of the Davison County Zoning Ordinance (as adopted April 1, 1998, and as subsequently amended). A roll call vote was recorded in the minutes (Claggett, Kiner, Nebelsick, Blaalid and Chair Reider all voting aye) and the motion carried 5-0. The application and notice timeline listed in the record: application received May 18, 2026, and notices published May 23 and May 30, 2026. The minutes do not record a schedule for construction or additional monitoring requirements beyond the stated conditions.
