Planning Commission approves plan for Carson Valley Meats processing facility for second time

Carson Valley Meats returned before the Carson City Planning Commission Wednesday. The previous approval of the project was vacated due to noticing issues at the city level.

The Planning Commission voted in favor of the project with two conditions added: to not allow odors from the processing of animals to be realized at the property line and no noise levels exceeding 80 decibels at the property line.

The commissioners voted 5 to 1 with Commissioner Nathaniel Killgore voting against.

According to Heather Ferris, Carson City staff found the proposed facility meets the necessary requirements for the special use permit.

The Special Use Findings can be found here beginning on page 8.

Staff found that the proposal was consistent with the master plan, would have little to no impact on traffic, will not overburden public services and facilities, will not be detrimental to public health or nearby properties, and more.

The entirety of the staff report can be found here which also discusses conditions of approval, including specific drainage requirements, the maximum number of animals allowed for harvest per week, the fact that manure must be removed within 24 hours of harvest, a requirement to have an annual review of water usage, and more.

City staff determined the wetlands on the property were outside of the project area and would not need additional regulations. The project is taking up just over 10,000 feet of the over 4 acres on the property.

Staff also stated the project is outside of the FEMA floodway, but would need to undertake grading to elevate the project area out of the flood area. Staff stated there is no risk of pollution entering the river or wetlands from the project location.

Manhard Consulting spoke on behalf of Carson Valley Meats during the meeting. They stated that many individuals have stated that while they don’t disagree with a slaughterhouse in Carson City, they disagree with the location.

However, the spokesperson showed in a map that the area for the planned project is the specific area designated by Carson City for a slaughterhouse usage, located within the General Industrial zoning.

Other businesses in the location include waste management, automotive repair and auto body shops, a recycling facility, and more.

The closest residences are 900 feet away from the proposed project site, according to the proposal; those against the project stated this is too close for the project site and it should be moved outside of city limits.

Commissioner Richard Perry stated its always a difficult decision when there are residential areas up against an industrial area.

Perry visited the Wolf Pack Meats facility on Monday to learn more about boutique slaughterhouses. He stated that the individuals utilizing the facility are small ranchers who are not using large trucks but rather with pickup trucks and horse trailers. He stated there was no smell involved, except inside the butchering room which he said “smelled like a butcher shop.”

Perry also stated there are residences within 500 feet of the facility and asked if there were any complaints from nearby residences and was told there were not.

Perry said he believes it will not affect local residences based on touring the Wolf Pack Meats facility.

Commissioner Teri Preston stated that both she and the rest of the board take their positions very seriously.

Preston said that the Villa Sierra Mobile Home Park is close but it’s two football fields away. She said that one of the conditions of the facility is to upgrade the sewer system. She stated that the mobile home park has issues with their sewage system and this upgrade would allow them to continue living in their homes without sewage back up issues.

Preston also said many of the issues concerning residents have to do with facilities where livestock resides which Carson Valley Meats is not.

“This is not a feedlot. This is not a stockyard,” said Preston.

Preston also clarified that the reason the project was not approved in Douglas County was because there was no infrastructure and no sewer hookup, unlike in Carson City, which is also why the project would not be feasible in Lyon County.

Vice Chair Jay Wiggins asked for a condition to be added to require a set decibel limit to not be registered past the property line.

Chair Charles Borders Jr. stated he believed that requiring an annual review would provide the commission a mechanism by which they could make sure Carson Valley Meats is adhering to all of its requirements.

Commissioner Nathaniel Killgore stated that he is impressed with what the developers have overcome. Killgore stated he asked for the developers to add an indoor holding area as well as an indoor offloading area and commended the developers for agreeing to and implementing those, but he is still against the project because of the residents who have expressed their opposition to the project.

Public comment lasted nearly two hours, with approximately 50 individuals speaking both for and against the proposal.

Those who were against the project cited reasons including concerns over sounds and odors, a potential decrease in property values, the location being near residences, and more.

"This project is demonstratively detrimental to use, peaceful enjoyment, property values, and future development," said Carson City resident Chris Carver. "Not one letter in favor of this project comes from residents immediately adjacent to this project. Not one."

Those who were in favor of the project stated they were in favor due to the track record of Carson Valley Meats, the move toward farm-to-table, the need for local producers to be able to process their livestock, and more.