Environmental Services Department Memorandum

RICE COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM

TO: Planning Commission FROM: Bryce Krejcarek, Agricultural/Land Use Planner DATE: April 24, 2017 SUBJECT: Public Hearing - CUP, Feedlot Expansion

SUMMARY OF THE APPLICATION Dan Pieper, on behalf of Pieper Family Farm LLLP, has submitted application for a conditional use permit to allow expansion of an existing feedlot facility over 750 animal units within the Agricultural Zone. The parcel has several existing facility components which include confinement barns, an earthen basin, reinforced concrete manure storage area, and feed pads.

Proposed is a new 130-foot by 150-foot barn housing 60 mature dairy cows (84 AU), with a concrete slab underneath. The new barn will barn will eliminate open lot area. Manure from this facility will be land applied to crop land in the area owned and rented by the applicant. The feedlot permit application, the soils investigation along with the manure management plan shows that the project can comply with Minnesota Rules, Chapter 7020.

BACKGROUND Pieper Family Farm LLLP has requested to construct a new barn to replace two older barns within 1,000’ of a lake. Feedlots registered prior to July 15, 1999 may expand as long as the feedlot does not further encroach into setbacks required by the Rice County Feedlot Ordinance and the Rice County Zoning Ordinance.

APPLICANT ADDRESS: Pieper Family Farm LLLP 6565 Kent Ave New Prague, MN 56071

FACILITY LOCATION: NW ¼ of the SE ¼ of Section 20, T112N, R22W, Wheatland Township, Rice County, MN. MAP NUMBER 01.20.4.000.01

PRESENT ZONING: A (Agricultural)

DATE OF HEARING: May 4, 2017

SITE REVIEW Staff will present pictures of the subject site at the Planning Commission meeting. Maps of the site are also included in the staff report. ACCESS and LOCATION The site is located ~2 ½ miles northwest of Lonsdale on the east side of Kent Ave. The site is accessed from an existing driveway approach onto Kent Ave, which is a gravel road, maintained by Wheatland Township.

LOT AREA/DIMENTIONS/SETBACKS The requirements for parcels in the Agricultural District, in which the subject property is located, are as follows:

Lot Area Lot Width Lot Depth Subject Parcel 80 acres ~1,350’ ~2,700’ Minimum Requirement 35 acres 50’ N/A

Neighboring SETBACKS Property Residenc Residential li e not Are Municipality NES Lake n owned a e by family or employe e Subject Feedlot ~200’ ~1,490’ ~3,900’ ~12,000’ ~700’ Minimum Requirement 100’ 1,320’ 2,640’ 2,640’ No closer than existing

Manure management plan summary The manure management plan has been developed for the proposed facility. The facility owns and rents/leases over 1,100 acres. There is a sufficient amount of acres available for the land application of manure.

Odor Control –The proposed buildings will be situated in an area that has some established trees. The trees will help in odor reduction.

Compliance with County Ordinance The proposed expansion has been reviewed by staff and appears to be in compliance with the Rice County feedlot ordinance. Upon CUP approval, construction of the new barn will follow submitted design and inspection requirements.

Recommended CONDITIONS: 1. All State, County and local rules shall be followed. 2. Manure application records shall be made available upon request by staff. 3. The CUP is to allow for an 84 animal units confinement barn for the dairy operation as per the feedlot application & site plan. The total operation shall not exceed 958 animal units. 4. Failure to comply with conditions may result in revocation of the conditional use permit. 5. This CUP will supersede the previous CUP issued on 11-21-2013.