The proposed cannabis cultivation facility planned for the Hastings Industrial Park remains under review after a
lengthy discussion Tuesday night at the Hastings Planning Commission meeting.
The proposal—the only agenda item of the evening—centered around a special use permit request for “Odin’s Garden,” an indoor cannabis cultivation operation planned for an existing 22-thousand square foot industrial building near Enterprise Avenue and 31st Street.
Planning Commission Chair Melanie Peters explained the commission was not reopening the public hearing from the May 11 meeting, but additional public comments were allowed before commissioners took action.
Community Development Director John Hinzman told commissioners the recommendation for the night was not approval or denial but rather to continue tabling the request while the city gathered more independent information, especially regarding odor control.
Hinzman said city staff wanted third-party verification that the proposed filtration systems could effectively prevent cannabis odors from affecting nearby businesses, parks, and residential areas.
According to the application, the facility would employ between six and fourteen workers and operate weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Activities inside the building would include plant propagation, growing, harvesting, drying, trimming, curing, packaging, and storage.
City officials confirmed those activities fit within Minnesota’s legal definition of cannabis cultivation under both state statute and city code.
The facility would not include retail cannabis sales.
The applicant, Travis Davison, said the building would be fully sealed with no operable windows and would use negative air pressure and activated carbon filtration systems designed to contain odors. A secondary vapor neutralization system would also be installed as a backup.
Still, odor concerns dominated much of the public discussion.
Several residents and nearby business owners spoke during public comment, expressing worries about potential odors affecting outdoor recreation areas, nearby homes, and local businesses.
One speaker, who works out regularly near the proposed site, said he was concerned about exposure to cannabis odors while using nearby trails and outdoor fitness areas with his children.
Another nearby property owner criticized what he viewed as incomplete impact assessments and argued that the surrounding area included homes, parks, and heavily used recreational spaces—not simply vacant industrial land.
Residents also raised concerns about energy use, wastewater, vandalism, compatibility with surrounding neighborhoods, and possible effects on property values.
Hinzman noted that Hastings has an odor ordinance already in place. The ordinance used measurable odor-detection tools—known as nasal rangers—to document and regulate nuisance odors if complaints arose.
Commissioners also discussed how special use permits worked under city zoning rules. Hinzman explained that cannabis cultivation was allowed within the industrial zoning district, but only if conditions could be established to minimize impacts on neighboring properties.
It was important to note that the Planning Commission’s role was advisory. Any eventual recommendation—whether approval or denial—would still move to the Hastings City Council for a final decision.
At the end of Tuesday night’s meeting, commissioners voted unanimously, 5 to 0, to table the request again. No date was set for when the proposal would return for further review.
Hinzman said residents who signed up for notifications would be informed once the item was scheduled again.
[Click the soundbite to listen to the report.]