A sheep feedlot coming into the town of Molt is a huge economic boon, expected to bring in $7 million dollars a year to the local economy.
Now a lawsuit has been filed to stop the 63,000-square-foot facility from being built.
Watch suit against Stillwater County commissioners here:
MTN was made aware on Wednesday of this lawsuit filed by Molt property owners.
They're fighting back on a decision made by Stillwater County commissioners, who approved the permit for the sheep feedlot close to town.
“And if you look at the water table, it's 10 feet down,” one man said during public comment at a commission meeting on June 29. “Well, the pit's got to go eight feet down. That means you've got to be four feet above the water as a regulation,” one man said during public comment.
It's comments like these, concerns regarding water, that John and Amy Neely's lawsuit cites were not considered by the commissioners, as well as disregarding comments from nearby homeowners.
“Their proposed feedlot is about 40 yards from my front door,” nearby resident Paul Smith said at the June 29 meeting.
When Stillwater County commissioners voted in July to allow a sheep feedlot, some in the community felt they were losing more than they were gaining.
That includes the Neelys, who own the old hardware store that later became the Prairie Winds Café.
They say deals to sell the building fell through because the sheep feedlot was going in blocks away.
The 63,000-square-foot facility would house 26,000 sheep and see 330 trucks pass through Molt each year.
Thomas Mahlen, Jr. , the Neelys’ attorney, said the commissioners were required to consider all the facts, including public comment and the planning board's recommendation.
At the same June meeting, Henry Hollenbeck, part of the family building the facility, addressed some of the concerns.
“We're also dealing with the water runoff and environmental impacts,” Hollenbeck said. “And we take this very seriously.”
Stillwater County Commissioner Roger Webb told MTN the county attorney is looking at the filing.
The Neelys’ lawsuit is asking for a hearing and for the court to reverse the commissioner's decision.
