By Robert Williams

Editor

A conditional use permit (CUP) for a 190-foot guyed tower with a nine-foot lightning rod and accompanying equipment in rural Frazee was approved by the Becker County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday, Aug. 4, after passing the planning commission on Wednesday, July 29, with no opposition.

The permit was requested by Great Plains Towers, LLC on behalf of John Paul Grieser, 13572 Frazee Rd., in Frazee, the same address of the project location. The tower’s location is on the western edge of rural Frazee, north of Acorn Lake and near the eastern border of rural Detroit Lakes.

There is a public water setback of 2,640-feet from any public water unless there is a finding of there being no practical alternative to location outside of that distance.

This is within that distance from public water, according to Becker County Planning and Zoning Administrator Kyle Vareberg.

A colocation statement was submitted that there were no other towers that could equip or accommodate this antenna within a two-mile radius.

“That statement would be satisfied in my opinion,” Vareberg said.

The CUP was approved, but included a copy of a natural environment protection act study be filed with the county prior to the erection of the tower and lighting, along with a financial guarantee from Great Plains LLC of $67,500 in the form of a bond to ensure funds to remove the tower, to be reviewed within one year to see how long the bond will be required. If not reviewed within that timeframe, the requirement for a bond will be eliminated.

Typically, a tower under 200-feet does not need to be lit, however, a Federal Aviation Administration study was submitted that the tower will be lit due to its proximity to the Detroit Lakes airport.

A CUP was approved by the commission and board of commissioners for William Jacobson on behalf of Louise Ann Ness (Jacobson) PO Box 238 Audubon.

The permit is to operate a metal sales business at 20212 190th Ave., in Audubon.

A CUP was approved by both bodies for Brenden and Deborah Mattson of 50830 Smokey Hills Rd., Ponsford, to operate a gunsmith business to include retail sales of used firearms at the same address. According to Chairman Erica Jepson and Kyle Vareberg gunsmithing is the primary focus of the business.

MR-C

Commissioners approved a Right of Entry Agreement for the Maple River to Cuyuna (MR-C) Transmission Line.

The MR-C Transmission Project is a planned 160- to 180-mile, 345-kilovolt high-voltage line developed jointly by Minnesota Power, Otter Tail Power Company, and Great River Energy. Approved by MISO in 2024, it runs from Fargo, North Dakota, to Crosby/Riverton, Minnesota, aiming to improve regional grid reliability and renewable energy delivery by 2033.

More information on the power project is available at https://mrctransmissionproject.com/

The county was approached by a Senior Land Representative for the MR-C Transmission Project requesting a Right of Entry Agreement to conduct surveying and reconnaissance of civil, environmental, biological, cultural resource, geotechnical, and soil borings on three Becker County-owned or managed properties.

TIF

The annual disclosure of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Districts in Frazee for the year ended December 31, 2025 was approved by the Becker County Board of Commissioners Tuesday, Aug. 4.

Frazee has three redevelopment and one housing TIF district, Red Willow Heights.