A Slaughterhouse Is Not Appropriate for Carson City (Opinion)
We are longtime residents of Carson City and oppose the slaughterhouse approved by the planning commission last week.
Supporters of the project say that our region of Nevada is in need of a slaughterhouse. We have no reason to dispute that. But that does not mean it should be located in Carson City. On the contrary, a slaughterhouse should be placed in a rural part of the region, not a populated urban area.
The stench, the noise, the waste products, the flies, etc. associated with any slaughterhouse are obvious. But here we’ll stress two other points.
The proposed site is a drainage area that flows into the Carson River, just to the south. The staff report submitted to the planning commission refers generally to floodplains and flood zones but does not address the strong likelihood that the site will be flooded and widespread contamination will result.
It’s also troubling that there appears to be a clear error in the staff report. The report repeatedly states that the nearest residence is “approximately 900 feet” west of the proposed project. A look at Google Maps shows that homes in Villa Sierra Mobile Home Park are only about 500 feet to the west. Perhaps the report does not consider these homes “residences”?
A slaughterhouse is not appropriate for Carson City. A suitable, rural location should be found.