Morgan's to expand

Morgan’s Meat Market received approval from the Waseca City Council for a conditional use permit at the Tuesday, May 16, meeting.

Planning and Zoning Coordinator Bill Green gave the council a bit of background on the issue, saying that in a previous meeting, the council approved conditional use permits in the B-3, B-4, I-1, and I-2 districts. Morgan’s Meats is located in the B-3 district.

It gave Morgan’s Meats owner Dean Morgan a chance to apply for a conditional use permit, as before it was technically illegal for meat processing plants to do so.

Green explained that Morgan’s needs the permit to build about 2400 square feet for additional processing space. The conditional use permit would allow the construction to extend into the expected 15-foot minimum setback. The business would encroach five feet into the west side while going ten feet to the east.

“We talked to the neighbors and received no public comments,” Green said. “There is also access to the north and south side for emergency vehicles.”

The planning commission unanimously approved supporting the conditional use permit after its public hearing.

Before the council voted, Morgan asked to have a reimbursement for the $520 variance fee, since he also paid a $700 fee for his conditional use permit. The council approved his request.

“Thank you for reinvesting in Waseca,” Mayor Randy Zimmerman said.

Economic Development Authority Manager Tina Wilson provided the council with a comprehensive plan review process; the council had directed staff to complete the plan during its March 21 meeting.

The review included the scheduling of work sessions, talks on land use, community identity and vision, and other topics. The schedule showed when staff will review and make recommendations on each topic, when the planning commission will review said recommendations with public input, when the staff will make edits, when the commission will review again with the public, and when the council will get updates on certain topics.

Part two of the schedule includes steps for the adoption of an updated comprehensive plan, which the city council will not hold a public hearing for until March of 2025. The review and adoption stage will culminate at a city council public hearing in November of 2025.

 

Reports and announcements

Council member Mark Christiansen announced that the numbers for community education look strong and that community activities will be thriving over the summer. However, Prairie Fire Children’s Theatre, which provides theater opportunities to grade school students, will not operate in Waseca or anywhere else this year.

The meeting adjourned at 8:37 p.m.

 

Fellow council member James Ebertowski wanted to remind people not to leave grass clippings on driving surfaces. “As the weather warms up, there are more motorcycles on the road,” he said. “Grass clippings turn the road into a slick surface for them.”

He also announced that he and his wife are expecting their first child soon.

The meeting adjourned at 8:37 p.m.