Jay and Kirsten Johnson of Nerstrand submitted an article to Northfield.org entitled Industrial Zoning in the Big Woods State Park? regarding a proposed zoning change in Nerstrand that could have a significant impact on the Big Woods State Park and the surrounding agricultural land.
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Representative Journalism
Locally Grown has been chosen to test an innovative project called Representative Journalism (RepJ). Bonnie Obremski is the RepJ reporter/journalist currently assigned to Northfield.See the complete listing of all her stories here, most current ones first.
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RepJ stories by Bonnie Obremski -
Bruce Anderson
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Bill Ostrem
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David Bly, State Rep. 25B
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Ross Currier, NDDC Exec. Director
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Kevin Dahle, State Senator, D25
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Bruce Morlan/Politics and a Pint
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League of Women Voters Northfield
8 Comments
Yeesh. I guess I need to write a letter to my county comissioner tonight. Right after I find out who she or he is.
I gather it’s one of these people:
http://www.co.rice.mn.us/board/
Galen Malecha is our Northfield guy. He’s a former City Council member and longtime Northfielder. Here’s his page: http://www.co.rice.mn.us/board/district2.php
We posted a letter about this very issue on The Center for Sustainable Living’s website. There is a listing at the end of the post on the contact information for all of the Rice County commissioners.
Here’s the link.
I missed that one, Scott - thank you for pointing it out, and for providing the link.
Anyone calling county commissioners this weekend could also ask that they keep the feedlot size limit where it is in our current Rice County Feedlot Ordinance (1500 animal units under the federal definitions). Both issues are important, though the feedlot one will effect everyone in the ag zone countywide.
The Kielmeyer request comes up on the agenda at the Tuesday Board Meeting 9:30-9:40 am. The feedlot discussion will go on for an hour or more, 10:20-11:30.
An upside of the Kielmeyer rezoning request might be the enjoyment Doug Jones would experience from his mansion nextdoor, watching fireworks test firings on summer nights. I can’t think of an upside for neighbors forced to live next to 6,667 market hogs or 400,000 young turkeys.
Here’s a Google map to zoom in and out.
I’ve walked that Kielmeyer property while looking for another place for my motorcycle trials club to ride.
There’s a big parking lot, lots of buildings, and of course, crap dumped everywhere. Much, tho not all, is badly-scarred former quarry. I don’t see a way that the quarry part of this property would ever be useful to include in the park.
So while fireworks testing may not be a great idea because of the noise, there may be other industrial uses that would be appropriate.
In today’s Nfld News: Fireworks company turned away by county.
The vote on the Kielmeyer request was over before I got there yesterday, but I did meet Doug Kielmeyer and his group in the hall, thinking at first that they were some of the citizens who had turned up in opposition to it.
I told Doug Kielmeyer that, although I opposed his request for rezoning, I did find the fact that the fireworks business would be right next to Doug Jones’ mansion somewhat appealing. They were aware of some of his business ventures in the area, particularly in connection with Progressive Rail.
I asked Kielmery why Mr. Jones was not buying the property to protect himself for the future. He said he had met w/Jones seven years ago on this, but Jones had not gotten back to him after that.
Mira LaCous, president and display operator of Hollywood Pyrotechnics of Eagan, was as colorful, in person, as her business card. She was obviously frustrated. She said all the information about their project had not gotten out, that the quarry would have been restored and protected, etc.