July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
CFO won't get permit (02/04/08)
Jay County Commissioners
By By JACK RONALD-
A building permit will not be issued for a proposed 500-hog confined feeding operation near the Jay-Adams county line because it's too close to recreational land owned by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
Ken Brunswick, regional ecologist for the DNR's Division of Nature Preserves, came to the Jay County Commissioners this morning to express concerns about the facility that had been proposed by Joseph E.M. Schwartz near county road 50 west in the northwest corner of Bearcreek Township.
DNR has acquired more than 200 acres near the site as a nature preserve which will include hiking trails. In all, DNR has acquired more than 1,400 acres locally including the nearby Loblolly Wetland Preserve.
"Any runoff will run right into our properties," Brunswick said. "Odors from the swine facility will reduce the quality of the outdoor experience to trail users in the woods."
Jay/Portland Building and Planning director Bill Milligan told commissioners his reading of the zoning ordinance indicates a setback of 1,000 feet would be required from land used for recreational purposes. Such a setback would be impossible on the Schwartz property.
"I would have to turn it down," Milligan said. "I'm going to have to say no on this because he doesn't meet the setbacks."
"We'll back you up," said commissioner Milo Miller Jr.
"If DNR owns it, it's already a recreational area," said commissioner Gary Theurer.
Concern about the proposed hog facility had already surfaced at the Jan. 28 commissioners' meeting when nearby resident Jerry Bruns noted it would be extremely close to the flood plain.
Theurer, who has a confined feeding operation of his own, said it was important to take care when siting a facility.
"The last thing the confined feeding people need is for something to go wrong," he said.
In a related matter, rural Jay County resident Paula Confer urged the commissioners to have planning officials develop a map that shows not only the location of all existing permitted confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs), but also all properties where a letter of intent has been filed for a future CAFO and the locations of confined feeding operations of involving at least 100 animals but below the state regulatory threshold of 500 animals.[[In-content Ad]]
Ken Brunswick, regional ecologist for the DNR's Division of Nature Preserves, came to the Jay County Commissioners this morning to express concerns about the facility that had been proposed by Joseph E.M. Schwartz near county road 50 west in the northwest corner of Bearcreek Township.
DNR has acquired more than 200 acres near the site as a nature preserve which will include hiking trails. In all, DNR has acquired more than 1,400 acres locally including the nearby Loblolly Wetland Preserve.
"Any runoff will run right into our properties," Brunswick said. "Odors from the swine facility will reduce the quality of the outdoor experience to trail users in the woods."
Jay/Portland Building and Planning director Bill Milligan told commissioners his reading of the zoning ordinance indicates a setback of 1,000 feet would be required from land used for recreational purposes. Such a setback would be impossible on the Schwartz property.
"I would have to turn it down," Milligan said. "I'm going to have to say no on this because he doesn't meet the setbacks."
"We'll back you up," said commissioner Milo Miller Jr.
"If DNR owns it, it's already a recreational area," said commissioner Gary Theurer.
Concern about the proposed hog facility had already surfaced at the Jan. 28 commissioners' meeting when nearby resident Jerry Bruns noted it would be extremely close to the flood plain.
Theurer, who has a confined feeding operation of his own, said it was important to take care when siting a facility.
"The last thing the confined feeding people need is for something to go wrong," he said.
In a related matter, rural Jay County resident Paula Confer urged the commissioners to have planning officials develop a map that shows not only the location of all existing permitted confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs), but also all properties where a letter of intent has been filed for a future CAFO and the locations of confined feeding operations of involving at least 100 animals but below the state regulatory threshold of 500 animals.[[In-content Ad]]
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