Carson City Planning Commission approves permit for Carson Valley Meats processing and packaging facility
On Thursday, the Carson City Planning Commission approved the special use permit for a meat processing and packaging facility off of Highway 50.
The project proposes a 4.43 acres with a 5,000 square foot building and a 5,600 square foot loading and corral area that would be used to harvest and process local livestock animals.
The conditional use permit states that no more than 60 animals per week will be permitted, with animals being on the property for no more than 24 hours at a time. It allows for on site custom butchering, smoking and curing of meats, as well as a retail counter offering prepackaged meats.
A slaughterhouse is a conditional use for sites zoned General Industrial. Staff recommended approval due to the proposal meeting all of the conditions needed for approval.
The closest residences are 900 feet west of the proposed site, and the project stated they would be creating landscaping to create a buffer between the site and the highway.
Manure must be removed within 24 hours of harvest and cannot be stored on site.
Staff believes that there will not be any noise issues due to the fact that the project will be small, as well as the fact that animals will only be on site one day a week for 24 hours.
Some public comment received stated residents were concerned with the proximity to the V&T Railroad as well as the RC Airport; however, according to staff, are both over two miles away from the proposed project site.
Staff also stated they believe that if the conditions set by both the city and the state are met, there will not be any issues to either the flood zone or the Carson River.
They also stated the project proposal does not meet the requirement of a full traffic study, due to the fact that a full traffic study is required at 500 daily trips, while the project only has approximately 10 percent of that in the proposal.
Staff also stated that General Industrial zoning is the only zoning that allows for a meat processing and packing facility.
Chris Baker from Manhard Consulting provided a power point, and stated that this is an acceptable use for the General Industrial area. Reading from the Carson City Municipal Code, Baker stated that “The GI District is established to preserve an industrial district for uses engaged in storage or manufacturing processes that potentially involve hazardous or commonly recognized offensive conditions.”
Some adjacent properties include a concrete plant, waste management, auto/truck repair, and more.
Baker stated that USDA conditions regulate noise pollution, as well as odor pollution.
“This is going to be a heavy regulated site,” said Baker. Baker also stated that any issues with noise or odor would be on par or less than the currently operating adjacent properties.
Baker stated that the project would have a direct benefit to the community in that it will meet local demand for processing in that other area facilities have wait lists of over one year. He stated it also supports Northern Nevada’s ranching and agricultural history as well as the “Farm to Table” movement by providing “a high-quality, reliable, local, humane, fresh product.”
Numerous residences came to voice their opinions on the proposed project, both for and against.
Those who were against the proposal were mostly residents who lived within the proposed area, citing issues such as noise concerns and odor concerns; some stated that they did not approve of any slaughterhouses, while other stated that while they did support the idea, they did not approve of the proposed location.
Those for the project ranged from 4H members, to small scale farmers, to those who stated they support Farm to Table. Some arguments in support included wanting to support sustainability, youth organizations, and being able to shop for local healthy meats.
The commission voted to approve the special use permit 4-1 with Commissioner Nathaniel Killgore voting no. The decision is final unless the matter is appealed to the Board of Supervisors.