What is it with people today. No one seems to be happy with anything. Not happy with expansion of businesses, subdivision development nor dairy farm expansion. What is it? Do they want the world to stop turning and stay as it is. Is that what they all want? How does one make that happen?
Maybe the unhappy folks in Richfield need to move to Addison for "a country way of life" and Addison folks need to move to Richfield.
Richfield has residents who do not want Hwy 164 to be 4 lanes, no new subdivisions, no new businesses. Addison has residents who do not want more dairy farming.
See Daily News article at Read More regarding dairy farming.
Maybe the unhappy folks in Richfield need to move to Addison for "a country way of life" and Addison folks need to move to Richfield.
Richfield has residents who do not want Hwy 164 to be 4 lanes, no new subdivisions, no new businesses. Addison has residents who do not want more dairy farming.
See Daily News article at Read More regarding dairy farming.
Town has no say on dairy farm expansion
By DAVE RANK Daily News
TOWN OF ADDISON — More than 80 people learned Thursday night town officials have no say whether the largest dairy farm in Washington County doubles in size.
The Plan Commission held a public hearing on a conditional use permit to allow Sunset Farms Inc.’s multimillion dollar expansion at 6600 Sunset Drive.
Town Chairman Robert Bingen opened the hearing saying the state Department of Natural Resources had jurisdiction over the project not the town because of the size of the farm.
“This is a little different than what we usually have in a conditional use hearing. It’s pretty much an informational meeting,” Bingen said.
The only vote taken was to affirm the commission would take no action on the conditional use permit request.
“You don’t need a conditional use permit from the town of Addison,” Bingen said.
Bingen welcomed the owners of Sunset Farms, the Wolf family, for their willingness to share information on their project with the town and hear concerns from neighbors. “I hope you do what you can to lessen the impact,” Bingen said.
The four Wolf brothers and families plan to increase their dairy herd from 2,000 to 4,500, adding infrastructure, a second larger concrete-lined manure containment pond and a modern barn for 500 head.
With a milking herd of 900, the Wolf family’s 3,300-acre operation is the largest in the county, according to the county’s Land and Water Conservation Division.
The farm is financing the project, Paul Wolf said.
For more than 90 minutes the large crowd politely listened to Wolf and the experts the family has brought in to plan for the expansion, which also includes feed storage and feed center facilities and a deep-aquifer high-volume well, Wolf said.
While everyone complimented the Wolf family for its efforts to work with neighbors, several expressed concerns over the smell of manure, the potential for water contamination, increased truck traffic, reduced property values and the farm was growing too big.
Wolf said the farm would switch to a new, more expensive product that is mixed with manure and reduces odor.
“I’m still not convinced as to the cow manure odor,” Dave Zander said. “I can smell them more often than I used to and I’ve been here 30 years.”
“I know you’re trying,” Laura Kaehne said. “I’d be grateful if you could figure it out.”
“I think their proposal will be good for the community,” Alan Gehl said.
Wolf said he and his family pay attention to neighbors’ comments. “We certainly took notes and we’ve taken notes at all the meetings we had with neighbors.”
The DNR will keep a close watch on Sunset Farms, Bingen said. “If they screw up, and I don’t think they will, they’re much worse off dealing with the DNR than the town of Addison. They have a much bigger stick.”
By DAVE RANK Daily News
TOWN OF ADDISON — More than 80 people learned Thursday night town officials have no say whether the largest dairy farm in Washington County doubles in size.
The Plan Commission held a public hearing on a conditional use permit to allow Sunset Farms Inc.’s multimillion dollar expansion at 6600 Sunset Drive.
Town Chairman Robert Bingen opened the hearing saying the state Department of Natural Resources had jurisdiction over the project not the town because of the size of the farm.
“This is a little different than what we usually have in a conditional use hearing. It’s pretty much an informational meeting,” Bingen said.
The only vote taken was to affirm the commission would take no action on the conditional use permit request.
“You don’t need a conditional use permit from the town of Addison,” Bingen said.
Bingen welcomed the owners of Sunset Farms, the Wolf family, for their willingness to share information on their project with the town and hear concerns from neighbors. “I hope you do what you can to lessen the impact,” Bingen said.
The four Wolf brothers and families plan to increase their dairy herd from 2,000 to 4,500, adding infrastructure, a second larger concrete-lined manure containment pond and a modern barn for 500 head.
With a milking herd of 900, the Wolf family’s 3,300-acre operation is the largest in the county, according to the county’s Land and Water Conservation Division.
The farm is financing the project, Paul Wolf said.
For more than 90 minutes the large crowd politely listened to Wolf and the experts the family has brought in to plan for the expansion, which also includes feed storage and feed center facilities and a deep-aquifer high-volume well, Wolf said.
While everyone complimented the Wolf family for its efforts to work with neighbors, several expressed concerns over the smell of manure, the potential for water contamination, increased truck traffic, reduced property values and the farm was growing too big.
Wolf said the farm would switch to a new, more expensive product that is mixed with manure and reduces odor.
“I’m still not convinced as to the cow manure odor,” Dave Zander said. “I can smell them more often than I used to and I’ve been here 30 years.”
“I know you’re trying,” Laura Kaehne said. “I’d be grateful if you could figure it out.”
“I think their proposal will be good for the community,” Alan Gehl said.
Wolf said he and his family pay attention to neighbors’ comments. “We certainly took notes and we’ve taken notes at all the meetings we had with neighbors.”
The DNR will keep a close watch on Sunset Farms, Bingen said. “If they screw up, and I don’t think they will, they’re much worse off dealing with the DNR than the town of Addison. They have a much bigger stick.”
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