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Request for Action <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />To Item Number <br />Planning Commission 5.4 <br />Agenda Section Meeting Date Prepared by <br />Public Hearings February 27, 2024 Zack Carlton, Community Development Director <br />Item Description Reviewed by <br />Cargill Animal Nutrition, 10383 165th Ave NW Chris Leeseberg, Senior Planner <br /> Conditional Use Permit to Allow Construction of <br />Reviewed by <br />an Agricultural Research Facility (Dairy Barn), <br /> <br />Case No. CU 24-01 <br /> <br />Action Requested <br />Recommend, by motion, approval of the Conditional Use Permit with <br />the following conditions to satisfy the standards set forth in Section 30- <br />654: <br />1. The facility must meet all state and local building codes <br />consistent with an agricultural research operation. <br />2. Prior to releasing the building permit, the applicant must <br />demonstrate compliance with all MPCA and EPA <br />requirements. <br /> <br />Background/Discussion <br />The property is zoned Agricultural Research (AR) where improvements <br />and modifications to the approved agricultural research facility require <br />a Conditional Use Permit (CUP). <br /> <br />Cargill is proposing an expansion to their existing dairy operation. The <br />existing dairy facilities will transition to a new building which will be <br />equipped with the latest practices of the dairy industry with include <br />automated feeding, housekeeping, and robotic milking systems. The <br />expansion will also include research spaces and employee support <br />areas. Transitioning to the latest technologies will also improve the <br />manure management system by eliminating daily field spreading. <br /> <br />Employment within the dairy operation will support additional employees, increasing the employee count from 12 <br />to 14-16 at full operation. Hours of operation will remain unchanged at 4:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Monday through <br />Sunday. <br /> <br />Site Plan <br />The new facility includes two main components – the main barn is 576-feet by 146-feet and will house the animals <br />for a majority of their time. The second component is the milking barn at 232-feet by 94-feet which is where the <br />robotic milking system will rotate the animals through from the main barn. The milking barn also includes <br />employee spaces like bathrooms, breakrooms, lockers, and research spaces. <br />The Elk River Vision <br />A welcoming community with revolutionary and spirited resourcefulness, exceptional <br /> <br />service, and community engagement that encourages and inspires prosperity. <br />Updated: January 2023 <br /> <br />