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The Hay Days event, a motorsports extravaganza held in September every year,  is run by the Sno Barons Snowmobile Club, and the club has applied for a permit from the county to expand allowed uses on the 100-acres plus just outside of Almelund.  Sno Barons is asking for 15 events in addition to the weekend now allowed for Hay Days.  The request is termed a Commercial Recreation conditional use permit (CUP).  The Sno Barons operate Hay Days under a Rural Retail Tourism permit currently.

Chisago County did some revision of various land use codes since the Sno Barons pulled the original Hay Days permit so a direct comparison of permits wasn’t accurate. Commissioner Jim McCarthy commented this appears to be what’s called “segmenting’ or a tactic to arrive at the desired full use of a property in bits and pieces. McCarthy stated that if Sno Barons had come in originally asking for all that they  now envision for the property they would have been rejected.  

He said he wants a legal opinion on whether this meets standards to be legally contested as “segmenting.” 

The application, however,  also lacked satisfactory definition and had vague responses alienating the other commissioners— and after an hour-long public hearing the county planning commission last week tabled the permit action.  

The planning commissioners will work with staff to identify specific concerns over this coming week and communications with the Sno Barons will ensue, to  refine their application accordingly.  Sunrise and Amador Townships are both impacted and their township supervisors will be given the opportunity to offer feedback.  (Both Township Boards denied this application in its initial form.)

Planning Commission members will next look at this on the September 3 meeting agenda.

Sno Barons Club was represented by Meshell Gorsenger and Deb Olson.  They told the planning commission there would be no firearms discharge, no fireworks and the only music will be more of an easy listening-country concert type. 

The audience wasn’t buying this promise and demanded there be a written agreement and specifics on enforcement.

The requested permit separates three categories of the 15 events, and these are apportioned to the quarters in a year. The categories presented allowed 500, 2,000 and 3,500 attendees per event.

Gorsegner explained the Hay Days site can only sustain a certain level of use and  “...we don’t want to damage the property.”

Olson added that the ticketing is numbered and Sno Barons can halt sales at a certain number.

Commissioner McCarthy expressed his discomfort with the whole approach saying the county limits wedding venues on rural property at smaller headcounts than what the Sno Barons seek.

Commissioner Chris DuBose commented that wedding venues can always apply to amend their operation conditions anytime they choose. He pointed out the Sno Barons are applying under the new county ordinances in effect now.

Commissioner David Whitney asked for more detailed language on just about everything in the application. The attendance numbers must be better defined and will they be tabulated  per day or for the full event.  Whitney also called for a list of prohibited events and not just a gray area where “potential” types of uses have been provided.

Sno Barons envision activities like Scouting gatherings, Youth training for outdoor recreational pursuits, even track and field meets for regional high school sports.

After the application had been presented, the public comment portion was peppered with vastly divergent opinions about the Sno Barons organization.

It is either  poorly run and works on “smoke and mirrors”  or it is a well oiled machine, depending on who was speaking.  

Almelund Fire Chief  Kevin Johnson stated his volunteer department can not be relied on alone to provide first response and public safety over 15 days. While he stressed the department has a ‘good relationship” working with Sno Barons over the years, the local firefighters and responders can’t shoulder expanded use of the property alone.

Neighbor to Hay Days Susan Johnson commented that this is not the “altruistic” community member the county is being led to believe it is, wanting to provide youth with a site for developing life skills.  “This is a money making operation,” she added, suggesting their finances should be looked into.

Amador Township Supervisor Lin Strong stated simply “we have had enough” of the impacts this site imposes on the surrounding area. There is no benefit to Amador or Sunrise and it is an “added burden.”

Local small acreage farmer Kelsey Zaveedra said this is “creeping commercialization” that overpowers the ag community and the county needs to “stop pretending” as land uses arise that are not about agriculture.

A resident a mile from Hay Days said the uses on the site and in the area are already in violation of the permit and why would the county grant another to Sno Barons.  He cited traffic, congestion, noise, lights, trespassing currently occurring .

Staff also reports no comment has been received from MNDOT, regarding the potential impacts on Highway 95 and arterial highways.

Other business included:

The floodplain ordinance amendments were laid over due to the late hour and because the final draft is still a work in progress, according to Environmental Services Director Kurt Schnieder.  

The planning commission agendas in coming months might contain this issue.

~ Being forwarded to the full County Board are: 

A four lot subdivision on Park Trail, just to the northeast edge of Center City, was recommended for approval. The site is 46 acres.

An accessory structure without a principal dwelling was okayed for Franconia Township. A house is planned to be built in about three years.

A five acre lot was cut from 68 acres in the area of Morgan and Maxwell, south of Chisago City.

And the “Burnside” plat was okayed in Shafer Township on 350th, which creates one five acre lot.  

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