Loading records…
Tuesday, March 24, 2026
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.
9 items as recorded in the packet and minutes.
1Call to Order and Pledge of Allegiance
Call to order and pledge were conducted; no vote recorded.
2Roll Call
Roll call was taken; commissioners present were listed and one vacancy noted.
3Approve/Amend Meeting Agenda
Agenda was amended to add Item 6B for candidate selection recommendation.
Agenda was amended by motion to add an item.
4Approve/Amend Minutes from February 24, 2026, Regular Meeting
Minutes were approved by motion.
5aPublic Hearing: Paradise — Interim Use Permit
Interim use permit request for cannabis cultivation at 19420 Rhinestone St NW (Paradise).
Commission recommended approval (one nay).
5bPublic Hearing: Palomino Estates — Variance
Variance request related to accessory structures for Palomino Estates.
Commission recommended approval of the variance as written.
6aNew Business: Palomino Estates — Final Plat
Final plat request for Palomino Estates.
Commission recommended approval of the final plat as written.
6bNew Business: Candidate selection recommendation (added)
Recommendation to City Council for filling Planning and Zoning Commission vacancy.
Added to agenda by motion and then acted upon by recommendation motion.
7Adjournment
Meeting adjourned at 9:37 pm by motion.
What this meeting did about specific topics, organized by issue rather than by document.
Paradise cannabis cultivation interim use permit (19420 Rhinestone St NW)
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.
Agenda: 5a. Motions: M3. Speakers: Planner Nash, Matt Paradise, Chairman Dan Haapala, Paul Hillukka, John Rife, Connie Lang, Commissioner Marty Bies, Commissioner Harold Jorgenson.
Palomino Estates variance for accessory structures (Lot 1)
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.
Agenda: 5b. Motions: M4. Speakers: Planner Cindy Nash, Kelly Oscarson, Karen Curtis, Commissioner Marty Bies.
Palomino Estates final plat
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.
Agenda: 6a. Motions: M5. Speakers: Planner Cindy Nash, Commissioner Harold Jorgenson.
Planning and Zoning Commission vacancy recommendations
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.
Agenda: 6b. Motions: M1, M6. Speakers: Commissioner Jamie Lewis, Commissioner Marty Bies, Commissioner Lars Carlson, Chairman Dan Haapala.
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.
moved by CHAIRMAN HAAPALA, seconded by COMMISSIONER CARLSON
SIX (6) AYES.
M2MOTION BY COMMISSIONER BIES, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER LEWIS TO APPROVE THE FEBUARY 24, 2026, MEETING MINUTES.
moved by COMMISSIONER BIES, seconded by COMMISSIONER LEWIS
SIX (6) AYES.
M3MOTION 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
M4MOTION BY COMMISSIONER BIES, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER CARLSON TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE VARIANCE AS WRITTEN.
moved by COMMISSIONER BIES, seconded by COMMISSIONER CARLSON
SIX (6) AYES.
M5MOTION BY CHAIRMAN HAAPALA, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER LEWIS, TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE FINAL PLAT AS WRITTEN.
moved by CHAIRMAN HAAPALA, seconded by COMMISSIONER LEWIS
SIX (6) AYES.
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.
moved by COMMISSIONER CARLSON, seconded by COMMISSIONER BIES
SIX (6) AYES.
M7MOTION BY COMMISSIONER CARLSON, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER PEARO, TO ADJOURN.
moved by COMMISSIONER CARLSON, seconded by COMMISSIONER PEARO
SIX (6) AYES.
Each figure links back to the document it came from. When the council voted on the amount, the motion is shown.
F1
Proposal to add a $75 fee for zoning letters (described in packet materials; not voted on at this March 24, 2026 meeting per the minutes in this bundle).
fee · zoning letters fee
$75
inflow
Council approval status: not yet on record.
When someone tried to remember earlier business, we cross-reference the corpus and write a short related-history note.
Nash noted that the city had previously granted similar variances for the Lestico property to preserve historical farm buildings.
— Planner Cindy Nash
What this is about
Reference to a prior variance approval for the Lestico property used as precedent for the Palomino Estates accessory-structure variance.
The resolver has not run for this cue, or the search did not find a strong match in the corpus.
Nash clarified that this would be the first cannabis cultivation permit approved in Nowthen
— Planner Nash
What this is about
Statement that this is the first cannabis cultivation permit in Nowthen, indicating no prior approvals of this type.
The resolver has not run for this cue, or the search did not find a strong match in the corpus.
Every document and recording archived for this meeting.
March 24, 2026 Packet
Packet · 2026-03-24
83 pages
March 24, 2026 Meeting Minutes
Minutes · 2026-03-24
7 pages
March 24, 2026 Agenda
Agenda · 2026-03-24
1 pages
Meeting recording
YouTube
Transcript · 4553 segments · 2:03:00
The structured brief on this page is auto-generated and may need correction. The PDFs and the meeting recording remain the official record.