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NEW ULM -- Brown County commissioners unanimously approved an application by Farmward Cooperative to rezone 16.7 acres of land from the A-1 Agricultural Protection Zoning District to the I-1 Industrial Zoning District Tuesday.
Action came on a motion by Commissioner Brian Braun, seconded by Tony Berg on property at the intersection of U.S. Highway 14 and County Road 16.
Travis Wendt of Farmward Coop said plans included adding cardtrol pumps to allow access to unattended pumps or dispensing units to deliver gasoline to authorized users and add above ground fuel holding tanks 350 to 400 feet from the highway.
Scott Vogel of rural Springfield spoke in opposition to the proposal.
"I would advise the county board to vote "no" to this proposal. The Highway 14-County Road 15 is a busy intersection," Vogel said. "A 2018 county traffic study showed typical traffic at 580 cars per day on CR 16 and 2,500 per day on Highway 14. The study was done in the summer. Fall traffic could be much higher with truck traffic turning north of Highway 14."
Vogel said as busy as the intersection could be in the fall and spring, he said there could be a serious accident at this intersection in the next few years due to heavy traffic cardtrol pumps could attract.
"The goal of this cardtrol is to attract over-the-road truckers and Farmward and their patrons to turn off Highway 14 and do their fueling," said Vogel.
Farmward Energy Sales Specialist Travis Wendt said plans include improving a turn at the Highway 14-CR 16 intersection by filling in a corner with asphalt so vehicles pulling trailers don't enter the oncoming lane.
Wendt said there is no need for a new turning lane since there is already a stop sign on CR 16 unless there was at least 1,500 vehicles a day on it.
Brown County Board Chairman Jeff Veerkamp said there is a northbound turning lane on Highway 14. Commissioner Tony Berg said a proposed Highway 14 turning lane for eastbound traffic would allow vehicles to avoid impeding eastbound Highway 14 traffic.
County Road 16 resident Jay Anderson emailed Brown County Zoning Administrator Laine Sletta, stating "I am opposed to where they want to put this fueling station. County Road 16 and Highway 14 is already a terrible intersection. Lots of accidents over the years. I think it would be catastrophic to add more vehicles turning in and out."
Anderson added more reasons to oppose the proposal.
"For people's view of oncoming traffic, Farmward owns property on the opposite side of the railroad tracks. Diagonal from this property would be further from the intersection…At least it would be further away from the intersection. Adding big fuel holding tanks would catch snow and cause Highway 14 snow drifts," wrote Anderson.
A Farmward spokesman said fuel tanks would be several hundred feet from the highway and a ditch between the tanks and highway would prevent highway drifting.
Commissioner Berg said he felt improving the intersection with the Highway 14 turnoff as Farmward plans alleviates worries presented.
Vogel said another safety concern is travelers using a turn lane as a bypass lane.
"It happened to my dad just the other day when a semi driver used the turn lane as a bypass lane," said Vogel.