Despite the lack of an official announcement from Farmland, planning and design continues on the facility they will build here – if and when they make up their minds.

Wednesday, March 27, 2002

Despite the lack of an official announcement from Farmland, planning and design continues on the facility they will build here – if and when they make up their minds.

One part of the planning process was completed on Monday, when the Interstate Development District (IDD) approved site and building design plans after an architectural and site development review. With approval from the IDD, the exterior design of the building and the site -&160;including driveways, parking lots, and drainage -&160;is now ready to go.

Approval doesn’t necessarily mean Farmland is any closer to announcing it is ready to build, but it is a necessary step in case they do make that decision.

According to officials in the planning office, the review started about a month ago. A team from The Facilities Group, an industrial design company in charge of creating the plans for the complex, met with IDD members to clarify steps in the process.

As a result of those initial meetings, the IDD asked for a plan that included more landscaping, especially trees and shrubs.

&uot;They’ve been easy to work with, and we feel that they did a real nice job with the design,&uot; said Paul Stieler, from the city’s Inspection Department and a member of the IDD.

The trees would help minimize the visual impact of the building, which will be quite large, Stieler said. The facility would be visible from both I-35, especially the northbound lanes, and from Highway 65. And in a couple of spots, trees would be used to screen a parking lot for semi-trailers and the loading area. Trees and shrubs will also be used to enhance the appearance of the parking lot area, said Stieler.

Although the IDD does not have jurisdiction over the layout of the interior of the building, Stieler did learn that the building will have two separate sides: one for fresh, raw meat, the other for finished products. Employees and equipment from both sides will be kept completely separate, including bathrooms and cafeterias, he said. Employees won’t be allowed to bring any food into the building, because of the dangers of contamination.

Farmland’s original Albert Lea facility was damaged by fire last July. They have been waiting on a settlement from their insurance companies before they decide on whether to rebuild in Albert Lea. The city has put together a package of incentives to convince Farmland’s board to rebuild, including a land swap which would give the old Farmland site to the city, a TIF district and special legislation which would grant a limited sales tax exemption on construction materials for a new plant.

The IDD is a subcommittee of the City Planning Commission, and includes representation from the Planning Commission, the city inspection department, and a representative from a contracting business. It has jurisdiction over zoning and industrial site development in the part of the city where any new Farmland plant would likely be built.