Slaughterhouse returns to Carson City Planning Commission

At Carson Valley Meats’ community forum on Wednesday, residents pointed out the proximity of the slaughterhouse to surrounding neighborhoods, golf courses, and the Carson River. Others pointed out a more rural area would not be able to accommodate the water and sewer infrastructure necessary to dispose of waste products. (Photo: Faith Evans /Nevada Appeal)

By Faith Evans

Sunday, December 12, 2021

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The Planning Commission will meet Wednesday to review Carson Valley Meats’ application for a special use permit to operate a slaughterhouse off Highway 50.
Commissioners had previously voted 4-1 to approve the slaughterhouse in September, but due to a city error, not all residents were properly notified of the public hearing. Hence, Wednesday’s meeting will be a “do-over,” as Community Development director Hope Sullivan described it.
The original application called for a 5,000-square-foot indoor processing area, with an outdoor corral. During the meeting, Carson Valley Meats representatives agreed to move all operations entirely indoors to appease residents who had shown up in opposition to the project.
The Planning Commission also asked that representatives return for a review one year after the start of operations. Commission members expressed an interest in enforcing annual reviews to check on the facility.

Carson Valley Meats provided a depiction of the setbacks from Highway 50. Project engineers said the slaughterhouse will remain on the southeast side of their parcel, leaving intact a drainage ditch and some large cottonwood trees on the property. (Photo: Faith Evans /Nevada Appeal)

Even with the added conditions, Planning Commissioner Nathaniel Killgore voted “no,” saying he had previously worked at an animal processing facility and was uncomfortable with the project’s proximity to a nearby mobile home park, 900 feet to the west.
“I am no stranger to animal processing. … Nine hundred feet seems like a bit of a stretch for what will cause no objectionable noise,” he said at the September meeting.
Notwithstanding, city staff reassured residents pollution is unlikely, and harvesting operations would be limited to one day per week (with three special event exceptions yearly). Animals will not be allowed on site for longer than 24 hours, and their waste materials will be removed directly after harvesting. The facility is not allowed to hold more than 60 animals at a time.
Owner Karin Sinclair confirmed Carson Valley Meats will bring the exact same application with added conditions to the Planning Commission this coming Wednesday. She and her team held a community forum Wednesday (Dec. 8) to answer questions about the project.
Approximately 30 people came, split between supporters and opponents.
Dissenters said the slaughterhouse is too close to surrounding neighborhoods, golf courses, and the Carson River. Those in support pointed out that the slaughterhouse needs city infrastructure like water and sewer to safely dispose of waste – a rural area would not be able to accommodate that.

Mike Holcomb, operations director, said while Carson Valley Meats owns the full outlined property (labeled “Parcel 1” on the map), it has no plans to expand, and will leave the open space as a revegetation area. (Photo: Faith Evans /Nevada Appeal)

Mike Holcomb, operations director, told the Appeal a significant portion of the parcel Carson Valley Meats purchased is unusable land. A drainage ditch and large cottonwood trees create buffers along the north and west sides of the lot. Carson Valley Meats has no plans to expand the project.
In the Planning Commission’s September meeting, many compared the current slaughterhouse project to Wolf Pack Meats in Reno, which Holcomb ran for over a decade. He said he hopes this new facility will be even better. He thinks residents won’t even realize it’s there once it’s up and running.
Sinclair said she is a small local producer, and the project will remain small.
The Planning Commission’s meeting will start at 3 p.m., but it likely will not review the slaughterhouse’s application until 5 p.m. or later, depending on how much time other agenda items take.

Slaughterhouse returns to Carson City Planning Commission

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