Laserfiche WebLink
The Elk River Vision <br />A welcoming community with revolutionary and spirited resourcefulness, exceptional service, and community <br />engagement that encourages and inspires prosperity <br /> <br />Request for Action <br /> <br />To <br />Planning Commission <br />Item Number <br />4.1 <br /> <br />Meeting Date <br />July 22, 2025 <br />Prepared By <br />Zack Carlton, Community Development Director <br /> <br />Item Description <br />Conditional Use Permit: Renewable Natural Gas <br />Facility - Elk River Landfill/Waste Management, <br />22460 Highway 169 <br />Reviewed by <br />Chris Leeseberg <br /> <br />Action Requested <br />Recommend, by motion, approval of the Conditional Use Permit granting approval of a renewable natural gas <br />processing facility on the Elk River Landfill site, subject to the following conditions: <br />1. Waste Management must receive all required land use and zoning approvals from Sherburne County for <br />the portion of the operation within their jurisdiction. <br />2. Approval of the associated variance (V 25-10) granting approval of a zero-foot lot line setback. <br />3. Any work within MnDOT right-of-way, including underground utility work, will require additional <br />permitting from the state. <br />4. Utility work within the city's right-of-way requires separate permitting, and is in addition to all commercial <br />building permit requirements. <br /> <br /> <br />Background/Discussion <br />The Elk River Landfill has operated in the city for a number of years, and in that time has received a number <br />of permits to amend their operation. The most recent amendment was received in 2023, permitting <br />expansion of the landfill and supporting additional stormwater infrastructure. The current CUP amendment <br />would allow the development of a renewable natural gas processing facility (RNG). This facility will collect the <br />waste gases generated by the decomposing trash in the landfill, refine and clean the gas, and pump the gas to a <br />large natural gas pipeline on the east side of Highway 169 where it can be used in homes and businesses. This <br />waste gas is currently burned off on-site. <br /> <br />The Elk River Landfill previously had a power plant on site that used waste gases to generate electricity. This <br />facility was removed a few years ago and the gas has been burned off since. The proposed RNG operation will <br />again provide an opportunity to recycle the waste gas rather than burn it off. <br /> <br />The property is within the Solid Waste Facility Overlay district where solid waste facilities are allowed with a <br />Conditional Use Permit. The landfill meets this definition and the proposed RNG use is an amendment to the <br />current permit, but is an accessory to the principal use. The CUP application is part of a larger group of <br />applications submitted by both Waste Management (the landfill) and Minnesota Municipal Power Association <br />(MMPA) to support the full operation of the facility - harvesting, processing/cleaning, and pumping. The CUP <br />operation also requires a variance (V 25-10) as the chosen site crosses property lines and the jurisdictional <br />boundary between Elk River and Livonia Township. Waste Management is working directly with the planning <br />Page 7 of 97