By Taylor Short/reporter3@trcle.com
The Johnson County Commissioners Court denied a permit for a proposed slaughterhouse in Alvarado after several residents expressed concerns at a public hearing Monday.
The hearing on the proposed slaughterhouse, which would have been located at 4504 Maxey Road, was requested by Precinct 3 Commissioner Jerry Stringer.
Stringer presented local government codes that grants commissioners the ability to prohibit the operations of a slaughterhouse if it is within 1,000 feet of a school or residence, or if the court finds that the slaughterhouse would “impose undue hardship on persons residing or trading in the neighboring area.”
Stringer said that although no public hearing is required by law, he believed it was necessary because of the number of residences surrounding the proposed location, some of which are as close as 150 feet.
He said he received 44 letters against the slaughterhouse and zero in favor.
When County Judge Roger Harmon asked the large group in attendance how many were there to speak against the proposed slaughterhouse, nearly all the right side of the courtroom raised their hands.
Romona Schott said her home of 16 years faces the proposed site, and she is worried about sanitation issues.
“From my understanding, there’s no provisions that have been made for runoff. That odor would be so profuse that we wouldn’t be able to open our windows in the spring or summer or fall,” she said. “Not only that, but if there comes a time when we want to sell our place, the value of our property would be none.”
Other speakers mentioned they have employees who have threatened to quit or move if the slaughterhouse is allowed.
“I don’t think anybody here would want a slaughterhouse in their neighborhood. This is a residential area, and there are hundreds of homes in this area,” said another resident, Ron Hensell. “Some are close by; some area far away; but it would affect all of us. The noise, the odors, the waste; it would be a bad situation.”
Adam Zduniewicz and Jamie Hayes spoke in defense of the slaughterhouse and assured residents the business has plans and guidelines that keep the business safe, sanitary and legal.
“We have talked to Mr. Stringer on how we can keep it clean and are in contact with companies that will pick up all the shavings, all the waste. We also have to follow guidelines from the state, so we can’t do it any way we want to,” said Zduniewicz, the owner. “Even if there was a sewer system out there, none of this stuff could go down the sewer. It’s all collected and taken away.”
Zduniewicz said state law requires them to have a refrigerator to minimize the smell, and 90 percent of the processing would happen inside.
He also said the slaughterhouse could provide 10-15 new jobs, and traffic that would come through that area would be an advantage to other local businesses.
“We’re not going to sit here and tell you that we can get rid of every fly and every odor, but we do have a rendering company that comes and picks up on a daily or a weekly basis. It’s a pretty big book of rules from he state that we have to follow,” he said.
Zduniewicz said he had received complaints about other businesses he’s had because flies collected around a dumpster with discarded animal waste, but he had contracted with a company to pick it up at regular intervals.
Zduniewicz also said the slaughterhouse would only process animals, excluding game animals, for people as they came in.
Commissioners questioned how Zduniewicz and Hayes, who would manage the business, could guarantee that the slaughterhouse would not apply for an upgraded permit or sell the property to another owner who might disregard guidelines.
“I’ve seen the area grow into probably one of the nicest residential areas in the county,” said Precinct 2 Commissioner John Matthews. “And to have this court approve a slaughterhouse, which would affect those residences forever, I think it’s irresponsible on our behalf. After we approve this slaughterhouse, there is nothing to prevent them from coming back two or three years from now and saying, ‘Hey, this is a great deal, we’re going to go ahead and expand.”
The court voted to prohibit the slaughterhouse in a unanimous vote.
In other actions, the court approved the installation of “No Thru Truck” signs on about 15 lengths of road in Johnson County to prevent further wear and tear on county roads that trucks sometimes use as shortcuts.
Before the meeting, commissioners praised Open Door Ministries and Pastors Troy Brewer and Andy Dally for helping feed the poor in Johnson County, giving away 40,000 pounds of food at one event alone.
“It’s great work that you do for the county, for helping the growing number of those who need help in Johnson County with food outreach,” said Precinct 1 Commissioner Rick Bailey.
