The Dodge County Board of Supervisors approved a conditional use permit Wednesday for a proposed pig farm in the Cuming Township.
A recommendation for a conditional use permit was unanimously approved earlier by the planning commission, but several landowners voiced their opposition to the supervisors.
The 40-acre site is located near the intersection of County Roads A and 14. It would farm about 12,500 hogs as part of an agreement between Bluestem Systems and landowners Gary and Chris Reimers.
Attorney David Mitchell, who represents Gary Hasemann, a landowner north of the proposed site, said there were a number of concerns about the proposed operation.
“Our concern isn’t that it is an agricultural operation potentially being located here, it is the intensity of this particular operation’s scope that all of the neighbors believe is beyond the reasonable purview of what this land should be used for,” Mitchell said.
To support the operation, trucks will be coming in and out of the site with feed, deliveries, etc.
“The only access to this particular property has been by an old easement that was strictly for light ag purposes,” Mitchell said. “That has been used about four times per year dating back to 1956. We reviewed it and we have questions as to whether or not that easement is even valid anymore.”
Mitchell said there are also concerns about a lagoon that potentially could cause biosecurity issues if contamination took place.
Hasemann said there has been no communication from the Reimers with neighboring landowners.
“There would have to be a road built for access to this property,” he said. “It is landlocked, is what it is. They would have to build a road. There is no electrical access and anytime you have a facility like this you are going to have more runoff than you normally would have. … In this particular area, there is no place for the water to go. There will be standing water. I’d like to know what their plan is to retain that water so that it doesn’t go onto my property.”
Chris Reimers said his group is in the process of doing “homework” on the easement and other issues.
Supervisor Pat Tawney questioned why that “homework” wasn’t done before going to the planning commission.
“That being said, if my house was 2,000 feet from this I would be sitting in their shoes,” Tawney said pointing to the landowners. “To me, did the planning commission get the full take? … I just don’t know if the planning commission, which made the recommendation, got the full table when these folks are here saying that they have homework to do. That throws a red flag in it for me.”
Supervisor Lon Strand made a motion to approve the permit contingent on the owners obtaining an easement for access and utilities, including electricity. The motion was approved 7-1 with supervisor Greg Beam voting against it.
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