MANKATO — A Mankato Township commission recommended against county public works facility site plans Thursday, ahead of a vote by board supervisors next week.
Blue Earth County is seeking a conditional use permit to construct a new facility at the corner of County Roads 90 and 16 (Stoltzman Road), about 1½ miles south of Mankato. The building would be a base for county workers who clear snow and repair roads, among other uses.
The township planning commission’s decision came after residents spoke out against the project during a lengthy public comment period.
Patrick and Lynn Lease, who live to the north of the site, organized a petition opposing the project. They said it would negatively impact their property values, citing information collected from area Realtors, and argued the use would go against the township’s ordinances.
“We’re so confident in the law that if they do approve this I will sue the township,” Patrick said before the meeting.
The two provided a combined 40 minutes worth of comments detailing the environmental, quality of life, zoning and additional reasons why they thought approving the project would go against the law.
“No one wants to live next to this,” Lynn said, later adding: “Your berm and your bushes are not going to be effective” at mitigating noise and other issues.
The zoning issue pertained to the area being zoned as an agricultural district. The Leases and others urged the facility to be built in an area zoned for industrial use.
“We’re not saying the county doesn’t need a new shop,” Patrick said. “We’re not saying it at all. The petition says go put it where it belongs.”
The conditional use permit application states the township’s ordinances allow for “essential public service buildings” in agriculture zoning districts, and the commission could determine the facility’s use is similar to other uses listed in the ordinance.
County Administrator Bob Meyer said the county attorney’s office, township staff and township’s attorney reviewed and responded to the application and all required standards for the conditional use were addressed.
The county explored 19 locations in and around Mankato for the new public works facility and deemed the proposed site to be the best fit, he said.
“It provides an opportunity to most effectively service roads and it provides a cost effective use of tax dollars when all factors are considered,” he said.
Roxanne Johnson, planning commission chairperson, described the plan as “leapfrog development,” a form of urban sprawl. She asked why the facility couldn’t be built in an industrially zoned area and questioned why another few miles away would be such a burden.
The proposed site is centrally located in the service area, Meyer said, requiring fewer “dead miles” for plows to get to the roads they clear. A few miles multiplied many times over would add up, he said.
More than a dozen people spoke against the plan at the meeting. Johnson read letters submitted by more people opposing it, as well as one letter in support of it.
Commissioners voted “yes” by a 4-1 margin on a motion recommending denial of a conditional use permit for the facility. Commissioner Daniel Rotchadl was the sole “no” vote, although he indicated he intended it to mean he was abstaining because he needed more time to consider the project.
The Mankato Township Board’s meeting to vote on the permit is set for 6 p.m. March 7 at 788 S. Victory Drive.