Grant County P&Z approves multiple building permits and recommends several Knife River special‑use permits

Grant County Planning & Zoning convened at 9:00 a.m. MT on May 9, 2024. Chair Robert Ternes and five other members were present; one member was absent. The board unanimously approved the meeting agenda and corrected minutes before moving through consent items and several permit actions.

The panel recommended county commission approval of three Special/Conditional Use applications from Knife River Materials. Member Matt Hager moved the committee recommendation for a borrow-materials permit on the Fitterer site (Permit #SCU-HWY49-01711210-A); Brendan Becher and Vern Straub led similar motions for the Kobilansky site (Permit #SCU-HWY49-02718100-B). A third recommendation, moved by Barb Kraft and seconded by Vern Straub, would allow Knife River to use David and Kelsey Sprenger’s agricultural land for aggregate storage and to operate a temporary hot‑mix asphalt plant, contingent on Knife River constructing an approach straight onto HWY 49; the committee noted Leipzig Township’s concurrence and referenced township meeting minutes for details. All three recommendations passed unanimously.

The board also approved a set of routine building permits by voice vote. Permits issued included a 12'x8' shed for Brad Meidinger (Permit #RR-05092024-A), a 20'x24' deck for Ryan Rustad (Permit #Sz2-05092024-B), a 12'x10' lean‑to and 45'x16' cement pad for Jason Hoffman (Permit #RR-05092024-C), a 48'x42' steel garage for Paul Peterson (Permit #CO-05092024-D), relocation of a mobile home and deck for Russell and Nancy Wahl (Permit #RR-05092024-E), a 20'x16' stage for Brian Warren (Permit #CO-05092024-F), a 40'x56' house addition for Damien and Rachel Ulrich (Permit #CO-09052024-G, completion by 2025-01-01), and placement of a 50'x12' mobile home for Dakota Gillen (Permit #RR-05092024-H, completion by 2024-12-31). Each motion was moved and seconded and carried unanimously.

The meeting record also notes approval of several utility permits related to the North Plains Connector project and administrative acceptance of a Special Use Permit application by Fisher Sand & Gravel for completion by the commissioners; no discussion details were recorded in the transcript.

Votes at a glance

- Agenda approval — Moved: Barb Kraft; Second: Vern Straub; Outcome: approved unanimously.
- Corrected minutes approval — Moved: Matt Hager; Second: Vern Straub; Outcome: approved unanimously.
- Knife River — Fitterer site (Permit #SCU-HWY49-01711210-A) — Moved: Matt Hager; Second: Barb Kraft; Outcome: committee recommended approval.
- Knife River — Kobilansky site (Permit #SCU-HWY49-02718100-B) — Moved: Brendan Becher; Second: Vern Straub; Outcome: committee recommended approval.
- Knife River — Sprenger site (Permit #SCU-HWY49-14565500-C) — Moved: Barb Kraft; Second: Vern Straub; Outcome: committee recommended approval, contingent on construction of an approach to HWY 49 and with Leipzig Township concurrence.
- Building permits (multiple addresses; see minutes) — Each motion moved, seconded, and approved unanimously; individual permit numbers recorded in the minutes.

The board set its next regular meeting for June 13, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. MT and adjourned at 9:45 a.m.