After more than an hour of discussion, questions from commissioners, and additional public testimony, the Hastings Planning Commission voted Tuesday, May 26, to again delay action on a proposed indoor cannabis cultivation facility in the city’s Industrial Park.
The commission unanimously supported tabling a special use permit application submitted by Travis Davison of Odin’s Garden LLC, which is seeking approval to operate an indoor cannabis cultivation facility inside an existing 22,000-square-foot building at 2939 Enterprise Ave.
The action marked the second consecutive meeting in which commissioners opted to postpone a decision, citing concerns about potential odor impacts and a desire for independent verification that the company’s proposed mitigation systems will work as advertised.
“We want to make sure that we’re creating a situation that we’re certain is not going to provide an odor impact,” Community Development Director John Hinzman told commissioners. “I think that’s part of our responsibility for reviewing any special use permit.”
The proposed facility would occupy part of the existing industrial building and include growing, harvesting, drying, curing, packaging and storage of cannabis products before shipment to licensed buyers. No retail sales would occur at the site.
Indoor cannabis cultivation is permitted within the I-1 Industrial Park zoning district through a special use permit process. The city’s zoning code specifically allows cultivation facilities in industrial areas if conditions can be established to protect neighboring properties.
The proposal first came before the commission May 11, when commissioners tabled the request and directed the applicant to provide additional information on operations, waste handling, fencing, truck traffic, staffing and odor mitigation.
Since that meeting, city staff received additional public comments and supplemental information from the applicant.
While the applicant supplied extensive documentation regarding its proposed filtration systems and operational procedures, Hinzman said the city still lacks independent verification that the odor-control plan will be effective.
As a result, he recommended commissioners continue the item and require Odin’s Garden to submit an analysis from a professional engineer or qualified industrial hygienist demonstrating that the facility’s systems will prevent odors from affecting neighboring properties.
“We have been provided information by the applicant, but we need to be able to have this independently verified,” Hinzman said.
Most public comments submitted to the city have centered on potential odor impacts, although residents and neighboring business owners have also raised concerns about wastewater, energy usage, traffic, security and possible impacts on nearby businesses.
According to city staff, comments received by the city have included concerns about:
• Proximity to residential neighborhoods.
• Odor emissions.
• Water discharge and wastewater handling.
• Energy consumption.
• Property values.
• Potential impacts on neighboring businesses.
• Security and vandalism concerns.
Among those speaking Tuesday was Glacier Way resident Mike Weigel, who questioned whether exhaust systems associated with the facility could create noise impacts and whether the operation’s utility consumption could affect city residents.
Others reiterated concerns previously raised at the May 11 public hearing.
One of the most vocal opponents has been Dr. Michael Ahn, owner of HSC CrossFit, which operates near the proposed site. Ahn and other neighboring business owners have argued that cannabis odors could negatively affect customers and business operations.
The city also received correspondence from neighboring businesses and residents expressing concerns about whether odors could drift into adjacent commercial properties and nearby residential areas.
In response to the commission’s earlier questions, Odin’s Garden submitted a detailed explanation of how cannabis would move through the facility from cultivation to shipment.
According to the applicant, operations would include mother plants and clone propagation, vegetative growth, flowering, harvesting, drying, curing, packaging and secure storage.
The company expects to employ between six and 14 workers, primarily during daytime weekday hours. Truck traffic is projected at three to four deliveries per week.
The cultivation area would contain approximately 5,000 square feet of mature plant canopy divided among five production rooms. The remainder of the building would house drying rooms, packaging areas, warehousing, office space and a secure vault.
Company representatives emphasized that the facility would not include retail sales and that all cannabis products would leave the site through licensed transporters.
The applicant also provided extensive information regarding waste handling procedures required by Minnesota’s Office of Cannabis Management.
Cannabis waste would be stored indoors, tracked through the state’s Metrc monitoring system and processed according to state regulations before disposal. No cannabis waste would be stored outside the building.
Much of Tuesday’s discussion centered on the facility’s proposed odor-control systems.
According to information submitted by Odin’s Garden, the facility would operate under a “defense-in-depth” odor-control strategy.
The company stated that cultivation and storage areas would be sealed within the building envelope and maintained under negative air pressure, meaning air would flow into the building rather than out.
Exhaust air would pass through activated carbon filtration systems before discharge.
The company also proposed supplementary odor-neutralization technologies designed to eliminate aromatic compounds associated with cannabis cultivation.
Applicant materials identified the drying phase as the period when cannabis produces its strongest odors. As a result, drying rooms would receive the facility’s most robust odor-mitigation systems.
Company officials further stated that loading and unloading activities would occur within enclosed spaces and that exterior doors would remain open only briefly during transfers.
The applicant noted that similar systems have been used successfully in other cultivation facilities and argued that the proposed Hastings installation would be more robust than systems utilized at operations managed by company personnel elsewhere.
Still, city staff said the claims require independent evaluation before a recommendation can be made.
The debate highlights the balancing act cities across Minnesota face as they implement regulations following legalization of adult-use cannabis.
State law permits licensed cannabis cultivation, but local governments retain authority to regulate land use through zoning and special use permit processes.
According to the city attorney’s review, the activities proposed by Odin’s Garden fall within the state’s legal definition of cannabis cultivation and are permitted within Hastings’ zoning code when approved through a special use permit.
Staff noted that the site meets distance requirements between cannabis businesses and is located within an industrially zoned area consistent with the city’s comprehensive plan.
Police have also reviewed a preliminary security plan.
However, commissioners must still determine whether the operation satisfies city standards related to compatibility with surrounding properties and potential nuisance impacts.
Following discussion, commissioners agreed that more information is needed before moving forward.
The commission voted to continue the matter and direct the applicant to provide third-party verification from a qualified professional that the proposed odor-control system will adequately prevent nuisance odors and protect neighboring businesses and residents.
The application is expected to return to the Planning Commission after that analysis is completed.