The Red Rock Township Board rejected a conditional use permit request to allow a hog finishing operation from Jerry Risius at a meeting Tuesday night.

The vote was unanimous — 3-0 — and came after a lengthy discussion filled with many questions.

Two township board members asked the most intriguing question of Risius: Are you building a hog confinement barn for 1,875 animals or are you building a barn that could be expanded to have even larger number without anyone knowing about it?”

The same arguments were raised Tuesday night that were heard May 1 when the Red Rock Township planning and zoning committee agreed to recommend approval of the Risius CUP request. That is, all except the size of the building.

Township supervisors Gene Tapp and David Holst did their own computations and said that’s exactly what Risius did.

With a barn one size and the number of hogs it could hold a larger figure than the one the petitioner had announced, Tapp and Holst had reservations about the request.

The meeting began with John Mueller, township board chairman, recalling the history of the CUP request. Red Rock Township is one of three in the county which has its own planning and zoning ordinances. Udolpho and Lansing are the others. The township ordinances are considered much more restrictive than Mower County’s.

According to Mueller, the petitioner had submitted all the necessary paperwork, including a Good Neighbor Plan and a manure management plan.

The planning and zoning committee held a public hearing on the request May 1 before recommending approval.

Risius, accompanied by Erik Nankivil, Owatonna, and Ron Akkerman, one of the Brownsdale area farmers who agreed to purchase manure from Risius, testified much the same information as he had done May 1.

Tapp asked the first question about a manure management plan and Risius detailed that plan, adding an additional 70 acres of Allan Akkerman farmland had been added.

Holst came next with a query about how the manure would be applied (i.e., injected into the ground in late fall each year).

“This is a wean to finish operation. Correct?” asked Holst. “Correct,” responded Risius.

“And, Holden Farms is satisfied with the plan?” asked Holst. “Correct,” responded Risius.

Holden Farms, Inc., Northfield planned to send hogs from its facilities in the area to the Risius finishing operation where they would be raised to market weight and sold.

Risius was asked to explain the barn’s dimensions. He said they allowed eight square feet per hog in a 51-by-328 foot building plus alleyway space and space for offices and other needs for the operation.

Risius previously testified he would not live at the site east of Brownsdale, but remain on his current residential site.

“This barn is the standard size for an 800-animal unit operation,” Holst said. Risius countered the size was determined by what the township ordinance allowed and that the market weight pigs would grow to near 300 pounds by the time they would be shipped to a meatpacker.

Holst said by his calculations, the barn was being over-built by $41,000 for a 750 animal unit or 1,875 hog confinement facility.

“I wonder if we’re being played,” said Holst.

Tapp said Risius’ plans called for a barn 32 feet longer than necessary for the 750/1,875 numbers.

“I don’t want to get this township into a situation where we’re going to have to keep monitoring the building and the hogs,” said Holst.

No one in the crowded township hall, other than the petitioner, spoke for the request’s approval.

Several spoke at length against the request.

Dennis and Sherrie Garbisch spoke against the proposal. Sherrie Garbisch is on the planning and zoning committee and called for a moratorium on such requests until the 12-year-old ordinance could be rewritten with new information concerning health and other hazards of larger animal livestock confinement operations.

Mary Lou Olson, a realtor, said the prospect of having two (Neal Anderson already has a large hog confinement operation) within a mile of each other would lower property values for non-farming residents.

As the testimony continued, board chairman John Mueller cautioned citizens the board must make a decision based on facts and whether the request satisfied the ordinance rather than “not in my backyard” emotions.

After an hour of discussion, Tapp made the motion to deny the Risius request and Holst seconded it.

When the vote was taken, all three supervisors voted “aye.”

“We obviously have a difference of opinion over the size of the barn,” Risius said afterwards. “I’ve incurred costs following your ordinance.”

Tapp said considering the economics of a request is “not a function of the township board.”

After more after-the-fact debate over the size of the potential finishing barn, Risius and his associates left the meeting.

Citizens remained for a lengthy post-decision discussion. One of them, Charley Peterson, called for a moratorium on all feedlot requests until the township ordinance was reviewed and updated.

Ron Akkerman remained behind to defend Risius’ plans. He also said the manure he and other farmers could receive from the Risius finishing operation was a “very valuable commodity today in agriculture.”

He estimated Risius legal expenes at $3,000 in the unsuccessful bid for a CUP from the township.

Risius can appeal the board’s ruling.