Supervisors give green light for Akron ethanol plant

The developer of a 100-million gallon ethanol plant south of Akron successfully jumped through all of the county's hoops this week, receiving the final approval on rezoning from the Plymouth County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.

In a 4-0 vote, with Supervisor John Schneider abstaining due to a potential conflict of interests -- he is a one-tenth of one percent share-holder of developer Little Sioux Corn Processors -- the supervisors OK'd rezoning 295 acres from transitional agriculture to industrial for the plant. The site is located one mile south of Akron between 170th and 180th Streets west of Highway 12.

Earlier in the week Little Sioux Corn Processors asked for and received a recommendation for rezoning from the county zoning board as well as a conditional use permit to construct and operate the plant. The only condition is that they hold an Akron town meeting to answer any questions regarding the plant before they break ground.

The supervisors also unanimously approved two other recommendations from the zoning board: one for Del Kellen of rural Le Mars who wanted to rezone 15 acres from transitional agriculture to commercial to operate a land excavation and tree service business, and another for Blanch Cronin, rezoning 14 acres just southeast of Le Mars from transitional agriculture to rural residential for a three-lot subdivision.