Nowthen Planning & Zoning meeting, March 24, 2026

Planning & Zoning

Tuesday, March 24, 2026

This meeting on the city's website ↗

Agenda

Open PDF ↗

What was on the agenda.

Packet

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The supporting materials the board reviewed.

Minutes

Open PDF ↗

The official record of what happened.

One-line summary

The Planning & Zoning Commission heard public testimony and voted to recommend approval of an interim use permit for cannabis cultivation (with one dissenting vote), recommended a variance and final plat for Palomino Estates, and recommended Jeff Pilon and Michael Hoium to fill a commission vacancy.

What was on the agenda

9 items as recorded in the agenda, packet, and minutes, each with a short summary of what was at issue.

1Call to Order and Pledge of Allegiance
Call to order and pledge were conducted; no vote recorded.
No action
p. 1p. 1
2Roll Call
Roll call was taken; commissioners present were listed and one vacancy noted.
No action
p. 1p. 1
3Approve/Amend Meeting Agenda
Agenda was amended to add Item 6B for candidate selection recommendation.
Agenda was amended by motion to add an item.
- agenda_amendment
Approved
p. 1p. 1
4Approve/Amend Minutes from February 24, 2026, Regular Meeting
Minutes were approved by motion.
- minutes_approval
Approved
p. 1p. 1
5aPublic Hearing: Paradise — Interim Use Permit
Interim use permit request for cannabis cultivation at 19420 Rhinestone St NW (Paradise).
The commission held a public hearing on an interim use permit for Matt and Rhiannon Paradise to conduct cannabis cultivation under a microbusiness cultivation endorsement on their 40-acre property at 19420 Rhinestone Street NW, with a proposed 7,000 square foot outdoor cultivation area and no on-site retail or public access. After public comments including opposition focused on precedent and questions about security, pesticides, and odor, the commission voted to recommend approval with the conditions in the packet; the chair voted no and the other five commissioners voted yes.
Commission recommended approval (one nay).
- Paradise cannabis cultivation IUP
Approved
p. 1p. 1p. 2
5bPublic Hearing: Palomino Estates — Variance
Variance request related to accessory structures for Palomino Estates.
The commission held a public hearing on a variance request for Palomino Estates related to existing accessory structures on what would become Lot 1, where three structures total approximately 7,850 square feet compared with a 6,400 square foot maximum for 5-acre properties. The developer adjusted lot lines so Lot 1 meets the 5-acre minimum, and the commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of the variance as written.
Commission recommended approval of the variance as written.
- Palomino Estates variance
Approved
p. 1p. 3p. 3
6aNew Business: Palomino Estates — Final Plat
Final plat request for Palomino Estates.
The commission reviewed the final plat for Palomino Estates and heard that winter conditions left several technical items pending, including wetland boundary review, septic site verification, and potential MnDOT comments related to Highway 47. With the lot size adjustment to Lot 1 to align with the variance request, the commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of the final plat as written, subject to the standard conditions described during discussion.
Commission recommended approval of the final plat as written.
- Palomino Estates final plat
Approved
p. 1p. 3p. 4
6bNew Business: Candidate selection recommendation (added)
Recommendation to City Council for filling Planning and Zoning Commission vacancy.
After interviewing five candidates earlier in the evening, the commission discussed candidate strengths and voted unanimously to recommend Jeff Pilon as the first choice and Michael Hoium as the second choice to fill the Planning Commission vacancy.
Added to agenda by motion and then acted upon by recommendation motion.
- commission vacancy
Approved
p. 1p. 4p. 4
7Adjournment
Meeting adjourned at 9:37 pm by motion.
Approved
p. 1p. 5

Motions and votes

7 motions on the record. Split votes are highlighted.

M1MOTION BY CHAIRMAN HAAPALA, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER CARLSON TO ADD ITEM 6B FOR CANDIDATE SELECTION RECOMMENDATION.
Exact transcript text
MOTION BY CHAIRMAN HAAPALA, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER CARLSON TO ADD ITEM 6B FOR CANDIDATE SELECTION RECOMMENDATION.
moved by CHAIRMAN HAAPALA, seconded by COMMISSIONER CARLSON
Passed
SIX (6) AYES.
p. 1
M2MOTION BY COMMISSIONER BIES, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER LEWIS TO APPROVE THE FEBUARY 24, 2026, MEETING MINUTES.
Exact transcript text
MOTION BY COMMISSIONER BIES, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER LEWIS TO APPROVE THE FEBUARY 24, 2026, MEETING MINUTES.
moved by COMMISSIONER BIES, seconded by COMMISSIONER LEWIS
Passed
SIX (6) AYES.
p. 1
M3MOTION BY COMMISSIONER BIES, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER PEARO TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE INTERIM USE PERMIT WITH THE CONDITIONS OUTLINED IN THE PACKET.
Exact transcript text
MOTION BY COMMISSIONER BIES, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER PEARO TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE INTERIM USE PERMIT WITH THE CONDITIONS OUTLINED IN THE PACKET.
moved by COMMISSIONER BIES, seconded by COMMISSIONER PEARO
PassedSplit vote
- YBIES
- YPEARO
- YLEWIS
- YCARLSON
- YJORGENSEN
- NHAAPALA
p. 2
M4MOTION BY COMMISSIONER BIES, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER CARLSON TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE VARIANCE AS WRITTEN.
Exact transcript text
MOTION BY COMMISSIONER BIES, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER CARLSON TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE VARIANCE AS WRITTEN.
moved by COMMISSIONER BIES, seconded by COMMISSIONER CARLSON
Passed
SIX (6) AYES.
p. 3
M5MOTION BY CHAIRMAN HAAPALA, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER LEWIS, TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE FINAL PLAT AS WRITTEN.
Exact transcript text
MOTION BY CHAIRMAN HAAPALA, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER LEWIS, TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE FINAL PLAT AS WRITTEN.
moved by CHAIRMAN HAAPALA, seconded by COMMISSIONER LEWIS
Passed
SIX (6) AYES.
p. 4
M6MOTION BY COMMISSIONER CARLSON, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER BIES, TO RECOMMEND JEFF PILON AS FIRST CHOICE AND MICHAEL HOIUM AS SECOND CHOICE FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION POSITION.
Exact transcript text
MOTION BY COMMISSIONER CARLSON, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER BIES, TO RECOMMEND JEFF PILON AS FIRST CHOICE AND MICHAEL HOIUM AS SECOND CHOICE FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION POSITION.
moved by COMMISSIONER CARLSON, seconded by COMMISSIONER BIES
Passed
SIX (6) AYES.
p. 4
M7MOTION BY COMMISSIONER CARLSON, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER PEARO, TO ADJOURN.
moved by COMMISSIONER CARLSON, seconded by COMMISSIONER PEARO
Passed
SIX (6) AYES.
p. 5

Sources

Documents and recordings archived for this meeting, when available.

Show a sample of the transcript (6890 segments, 2:03:00 total)

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0:00 All right, we're going to start the uh work session.
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0:10 work session. Um I don't have the >> Can we start with the pledge of session? >> We'll start with the >> to the flag of the United States of
0:10 work session. Um I don't have the >> Can we start with the pledge of session? >> We'll start with the >> to the flag of the United States of
0:10 work session. Um I don't have the >> Can we start with the pledge of session? >> We'll start with the >> to the flag of the United States of
Showing first 12 segments. Open the YouTube video for the full transcript.

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