VITAL POLICY – Citizens form Task Group in Strawberry Plains to Fight Expected Creation of Zoning for Slaughterhouse
“Our government is just not responding to us”, an observation made by one resident of Strawberry Plains speaking to a group of about 30 concerned citizens that oppose the building of a slaughterhouse near their homes. The task group led by Beth and David Nelson and other families explored options for convincing planning boards to limit slaughter facilities of a certain size to industrial and commercial properties away from residences. The task group, including County Commissioners Rob Blevins (District 6 – Strawberry Plains) and Marcus Reed (District 10 – Jefferson City), also put forth their own plan to incentivize the owners of Local Meats LLC to locate in an industrial area of the county that would have room for expansion, better infrastructure, wider roads, and increased retail traffic.
“We presented the incentive plan to the Jefferson County government, Jefferson City government, Local Meats LLC, and many other stakeholders. So far, no one has officially responded to the offer” Beth Nelson.
After a failed attempt by county commission on July 19th to rezone agricultural A1 property to industrial I2 for a proposed slaughterhouse, residents have geared up to stop an attempt to revamp zoning regulations for medium size slaughterhouses, a plan that was alluded to by commissioners in the same meeting.
A1 zoning permits small-scale slaughter facilities that process up to 20 cows per week on agricultural property. However, under current regulations, facilities that process above that number would need to be situated in a I2 industrial zone in order to be approved. Residents in the Bruner Road area of Strawberry Plains are concerned that County Commission will create a “special zone” for medium sized slaughterhouses and impose it near their homes, possibly effecting their property values, water and air quality, and traffic patterns on narrow roads. Safety, sanitation, and quality of life are added concerns of the task group.
“If they are going to butcher 50 to 100 cows per week, they need to do that in an industrial area away from homes. We know local farmers in Jefferson County need a slaughterhouse to support their business; but it just makes common sense to put it in an appropriate place. Property rights of citizens, not just the business owners, should be considered when zoning regulations are imposed. Zoning should not be enacted for a special interest; it should be for the good of all.” Debbie Berry
Certain members of the group noted that the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce endorsed the plan to rezone A1 property to I2 in support of placing the slaughterhouse in their residential neighborhood, some of which cited the Intermodal Project that impacted their lives and community about a decade ago.
The citizen task group is planning to take their message to county government and to the planning boards that will consider any potential change in zoning regulations.
