Garretson Weekly

What’s next for proposed ethanol plant?
By Brent Zell
Posted online: December 06, 2006

The first hurdle has been cleared. Many more hurdles – and questions – remain.
Ever since the possibility of an ethanol plant being built in the Sherman area began to gain traction – a movement that picked up speed when the Minnehaha County Commission showed intent to move the project forward two weeks ago – the calls have been coming in to Sherman City Council President Robin Berg.
Many of the calls have been in favor of the plant. Others have questions about what the plant would do to the quiet city should the Buffalo Energy Ridge group decide to go with the Sherman site.
“They’re not against the idea,” said Berg about the callers. “Just some concerns.”
Land about 2 miles northeast of Sherman is one of the sites being considered for the proposed plant, which would produce about 50 million gallons of ethanol per year and create 35 to 40 jobs.
That’s not counting the related jobs that would pop up to take advantage of the increased traffic near the plant. At the Nov. 29 county commission meeting, Kathleen Showalter of PlanScape Partners said that an ethanol facility that produces 40 million gallons a year could create more than 600 “spin-off” jobs.
Traffic from the new plant and other potential businesses has been at the core of many of the concerns Berg said she has received from fellow Sherman residents. She said that people tend to move to Sherman as a reprieve from the hustle and bustle of living in a bigger city.
One of those people is Ann Thiel, a Garretson native who moved to the Sherman area six years ago after living in the Twin Cities. She said that she liked the possibility of her husband working at the plant, but had reservations about large amounts of economic development changing Sherman too much.
“What I’m concerned about is I don’t want to see a lot of traffic and congestion in Sherman,” she said. “I kind of like town the way it is. It’s quiet, and it’s off the beaten path.”
Despite the vote of interest by the county commission, many issues about the plant need to be cleared up. For instance, where the plant will be. Buffalo Ridge board chairman Greg Van Zanten of Colton said that the group is still doing site comparisons. The group is doing surveying work and geological testing at the sites.
While he declined to reveal what other sites are being considered, he said that the group – which is headquartered in Brandon – should have the candidate list narrowed down within the next 30 days.
Van Zanten said that he was encouraged by the county commission’s 4-0 vote to pursue the creation of a special tax district for the proposed plant.
“That’s a step in the right direction,” he said. “We were received positively, and there were a lot of positive comments in the room.”
County Commissioner John Pekas said that the next step for the group in terms of county government action is working with the zoning and planning board and meeting those requirements before any further discussion on creating a tax district can commence.
“They have a substantial amount of work ahead of them,” said Pekas.

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