The county Zoning Board of Adjustment voted unanimously to approve special use permit application from Friesen Nutrition during its June 16 meeting for a blending facility in Madison Food Park, off U.S. Highway 89.

The agenda materials are here.

Friesen is proposing to build a blending facility to manufacture vitamin, trace mineral and other mixes to supplement on-farm feeds for livestock.

There’s been no movement on the special use permits issued to Big Sky Cheese or Silver Falls Distillery. The county granted a 24-month extension to the permit for both of those projects in September 2021. Those projects are components of the overall proposed Madison Food Park.

According to their application, the facility will received bulk dry and liquid ingredients in their pure form such as salt, phosphorous, calcium, iron, zinc, manganese, magnesium, vitamins, enzymes and vegetable oils.

The premix supplements will be available for sale in loose bulk, one ton bags and individual 40-55 pound bags, according to the application.

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The supplements will be delivered or pickup up by customers at the building with offices, a parking lot, mixers, tanks, scales, augers and bins.

The proposed construction is for a 1 acre site and will require a general construction stormwater permit from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality.

Under the proposed operations plan for Madison Food Park, the facility would operate 260-310 days per year, five to six days a week, according to the application.

Friesen estimates that about 20 customers will visit the facility daily and that there will be about two trucks daily delivering or pickup up from the facility, based on 24,000 to 48,000 pound truck capacity, according to the application.

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Friesen estimated six employees associated with the facility, according to the application.

The proposed facility would be served by onsite water and wastewater facilities that require DEQ approval.

Friesen estimates the facility will generate 405 gallons of wastewater daily, or about 116,000 gallons annually. The wastewater will be treated and disposed using a conventional septic tank and drainfield, according to the application.

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Water will be supplies to the facility using onsite wells, according to the application, and Friesen estimates usage will be about 405 gallons daily. Two wells have been constructed for the property, according to Friesen, and test pumping was completed and determined the project wouldn’t negatively impact the water sources of area properties, according to the application.

Ken Thornton, ZBOA member, said he was concerned about considering the permit applications independently didn’t allow them to consider the impact of what is planned as an industrial park. He suggested they add a condition for well monitoring as the board did for the Big Sky Cheese and Silver Falls Distillery applications.

John Harding, ZBOA chair, said that this is a stand alone application and that project will always impact properties around them. He said that’s why the other state agencies have requirements, standards and permitting that the SUP requires from Friesen.

“It’s the way development goes” Harding said.

He said that staff had reviewed the application and considered the impact in their analysis.

“It’s been addressed very well I believe,” he said, and that he wasn’t inclined to accept suggestions for conditions on water or emergency access from the public, but rather to accept the staff report.

County planning staff have determined the proposal meets the county’s zoning requirements and recommends approval of the special use permit with the following conditions:

• Friesen obtains any other required county, state, or federal permits and approvals, and comply with the laws, rules, regulations, and/or ordinances associated with any other permits and approvals.
• Friesen obtains addressing from the GIS Department for E911 purposes.
• Friesen obtains necessary approvals for water, wastewater, and stormwater facilities serving the facility from the City-County Health Department.
• No structures greater than five hundred (500) feet in height.