Proposal fails to fly by BZA From the REPORTER--TIMES Tim Grimes tgrimes@reporter-times July 23, 2013 MARTINSVILLE More than 100 people showed up to Monday’s Morgan County Board of Zoning Appeals meeting to oppose granting a variance to operate a duck processing facility a quarter of a mile from Eminence Junior-Senior High School. Their wish was granted as the BZA denied the request of Erik Risman, who applied for a use variance to turn a property at 7180 Ind. 42 in Eminence into a duck processing facility. The property is zoned agricultural and can have ducks raised on it, but the variance was for permission to process the ducks on the property. The property is for sale. Risman was the only person who testified in favor of the use variance. There were 64 people signed up to testify against the variance, although not all of them testified. The facility could have processed about 500 ducks per day and would have processed ducks four days a week, Risman said. He said he’s visited 20 duck farms, including facilities in France, Canada and northern Indiana. Risman said he would build the facility according to the standards of the facility in France. “If we build it to these specifications, the USDA said they would have no problem with it,” he said. Risman tried to assure the board and the audience the smell and noise from the facility would not be a problem. “Yes, ducks smell,” he said. “But I haven’t noticed any odor more than five feet from the barns (at the facilities I’ve visited).” Risman said he currently raises 250 ducks in Zionsville. He said he would have likely hired three to five part-time employees. BZA member Bill Rumbaugh said he was worried about the facility using so much water it would cause the area’s wells to be “sucked dry,” an issue that was also on the minds of a lot of residents. There is part of a pond on the property Risman said could be used to help feed the facility water. Risman also said he disagreed with Rumbaugh using the maximum number of ducks the facility could some day hold — 2,500 — in his water needs calculations. “It’s still a lot of ducks,” Rumbaugh said. “I’ve got to look down the road.” BZA Chairman John Chappelow restricted the testimony to two minutes. Otis Patrick, who said he’s been a veterinarian for many years, said he was worried about airborne bird diseases affecting children at Eminence Junior-Senior High School. “My main concern is the school,” Patrick said. Many residents who testified against the facility said they were worried about the potential risk to the school. Terry Terhune, superintendent of Eminence Junior-Senior High School, said the school opposes the facility. “Our school is the heart and soul of our community,” Terhune said. “It is the only public playground in Adams or Ashland Township. That playground, I look out my window (and see it) and I look out my other window and I can see this property. It’s less than a quarter mile from our playground where our kids play every day.” Vicky Hacker said she lives across the street from the site of the proposed facility. She said she was worried about the potential health problems and decreased property values that could occur as a result of this facility. “Who will compensate us (for health problems and decreased property values)?” she said. “Our biggest investment is in your (the BZA’s) hands.” Rob Miller, who said he moved to Eminence from the city, said he works in the food service industry and sees trends come and go. The facility would have sold foie gras — the enlarged liver of a duck or goose. Miller said he was concerned about what happens if foie gras stops being popular and the facility goes out of business. Risman said the facility would be small and would not disturb the community. “I don’t want to be a bad neighbor,” he said. “I want to be in Morgan County.” The measure for the use variance was unanimously denied. BZA Plan Director Kenny Hale said the measure to get the use variance for the property is “dead” and there’s nothing Risman can do to get the facility built on that land.
Posted on: Tue, 23 Jul 2013 15:36:34 +0000
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