Agenda - Planning Commission - 06/06/2000

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City Code states that parcels three (3) to twenty (20) acres in size are restricted to a maximum of or a combination of two (2) goats, pigs, or cows, with the issuance of a conditional use permit. The applicant currently has three (3) cows on his parcel. Mr. Sigler is asking for a conditional use permit to continue maintaining three (3) cows on his ten (10) acre parcel. Mr. Sigler also has five (5) horses and two (2) sheep on his property. The applicant stated to Staff that he is currently taking care of the sheep for a friend and they will not remain on the property permanently. The number of horses on the property is legal. It is staffs opinion that the intent of City Code would be to also require a CUP for sheep as they are similar in size to a goat. Mr. Sigler is housing a total of eight (8) large animals and two (2) sheep. The pasture area is approximately eight (8) acres in size. This equates to approximately 1.5 farm animals per acre of pasture. MPCA has established animal units for horses, cows, and sheep. A cow and horse equal 1.0 animal units and sheep equate to il animals units. Using the animal unit equivalents established by MPCA, Mr. Sigler has 8.2 ~animal units on his parcel. MPCA states that if a person has animals on the property that equal 10 animal units or more they are required to apply for a feedlot permit. Mr. Sigler is approaching the threshold for a MI)CA permit. The MPCA has also generated figures for manure p,roduction for various farm animals. Depending on the size of the cow, horse, or sheep, the/following manure production figures could fluctuate up or down 20%. 1. Cows: 2. Horses: 3. Sheep: 631b/day per cow 451b/day per horse 4.01b/day per sheep Applying the MPCA manure production chart, approximately 422 pounds of manure is being produced each day on the subject property. Due to this amount of manure and related nitrates produced, the MPCA has recommend that if a conditional use permit is issued, it require that the manure produced be managed by spreading it onto the eight (8) acres of pasture area or remove it from the parcel regularly. MPCA has also stated that spreading of manure should be avoided on very coarse sands or gravel soils and application of manure should be set back from water wells, sinkholes, and shallow bedrock to prevent pollution of ground-water sources. The City Engineer has verified that neither coarse sands nor gravel soils exist on the subject property. Recommendation: City Staff recommends approval of maintaining two (2) cows on the property, as allowed by City Code with a Conditional Use Permit. Commission Action: Motion to recommend adoption of Findings of Fact #~ relating to Jeffrey Sigler's request for a conditional use permit for three (3) cows and two (2) sheep.