Commission Approves Variance for Hobby Farm

At last nights Huron City Commission meeting it was announced that a 4-way stop sign is being added at the intersection of 15th & Idaho SE for safety reasons. The public safety committee has heard several requests for traffic control in this area, but the traffic study indicated that none of the intersections met the criteria required for traffic change. A student from Madison School came to the committee and stated that she did not feel safe crossing the street while walking to school.

Also last night the commission acting as the board of adjustment approved a variance for a hobby farm at 1523 9th Street SW.

The amount of animal units allowed is how hobby farms are controlled so that too many animals are not allowed on a parcel of land. A hobby farm is defined as a parcel where the land and associated livestock are not the main source of living for those who reside at the residence on the land.

Rusty Toupal, who requested the variance stated that he would have about 6 acres of land not including the house, shed, and associated yard for the hobby farm use. He intends to keep 3 horses on the hobby farm for his daughters to ride.

Toupal prepared a manure management plan and presented it to the Joint Planning Commission.

He does own land west of town where the horses are currently kept. Toupal does not intend to have manure piles within 150’ of the softball fields which are near the property where the hobby farm will be located and will spread the manure or have it hauled away for spreading on farmland outside the city.