Have questions about our proposed meat processing facility in Carson City? Your questions answered!
To learn more about why we want to open this facility to help out local ranchers and livestock producers, visit Our Mission, Our Vision, Our Promise!
Confused by the preponderance of “information” being spread by our opponents? Read this article from Carson Now, which breaks each item down into the sum of its parts. You’ll soon see the need for this type of facility and be able to see through some of the smoke and mirrors being presented by opponents of the project. We’re all about transparency, folks!
Is this meat processing facility a feedlot, stockyard or CAFO?
This is not a CAFO – A Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation, or CAFO, is a specific type of large-scale industrial agricultural facility that raises animals, usually at. high-density, for the consumption of meat, eggs, or milk. To be considered a CAFO, a farm must first be. categorized as an animal feeding operation (AFO). This type of agricultural production can house anywhere from several hundred to millions of animals on one property. Most businesses focus on chickens, hogs, or dairy cows to maximize the value of food production, but these mega-farms can feature virtually any animal where there is a market for the goods produced. (https://connectusfund.org/15-biggest-pros-and-cons-of-cafo-concentrated-animal-feeding-operations).
Our facility is not a feedlot or a stockyard. If you review the plans, there is no structures included for long-term animal holdings.
Our proposed facility will be USDA-certified and will process beef, goat, lamb, swine, and wild game. It will be available to regional ranchers and livestock producers. The facility will typically process +/- 60 animals per week. Animals will be delivered to the site one day prior to or the day of harvesting during regular business hours and held in the indoor corral up to a maximum of 24 hours. Approximately half of the animals would be delivered the day prior to harvest. Typically, harvesting will occur one day a week and processing on the remaining workdays.
Any unusable portions remaining after the harvesting process will be sprayed with denature to eliminate the potential for odor and removed from the site on the day of harvest. The unusable portions will be picked up by a local rendering company and thus eliminating the potential for undesirable odors after harvest day. After the harvesting process and the meat has been processed, it is stored in the on-site freezer to remove the potential for spoiling and odor. Additionally, manure and waste material will be removed from the corral area weekly. A tractor will shovel the waste and load it into a truck to haul it off-site.
What does this project contribute to Carson City Jobs and Economic Vitality?
Five employees are anticipated for normal business operations with the potential need for six to eight employees when operations are at full capacity.
This project meets Master Plan Policy Checklist Requirements:
1. The proposed project adds to diversity of local job opportunities. (5.1c)
2. The proposed project promotes vertical diversity by providing another option to local ranchers/farmers to harvest their livestock effectively and efficiently. (5.1g)
3. The proposed project is located in a manner to conserve local natural resources and open space and protect the adjacent floodplain. (5.5f)
How does Carson Valley Meats support livestock auctions and fairs, and ag education through FFA, 4-H and Grange?
Many school children participate in livestock auctions and fairs through organizations like FFA, 4-H and Grange. We support these organizations for the life skills, business acumen and sense of responsibility they instill in our youth.
During weeks where local events such as fairs occur (+/- 6 times per year), harvesting could occur 1-3 days per week. There may be additional animals on-site during these fair/event weeks, with a maximum of 120 animals at any time, although it is unlikely that there would ever be more than 100 at any time. On fair/event weeks, the facility would only process the animals coming from the fair/event and they would be dropped off the day prior to harvest. The normally scheduled animals would be moved to a different week for processing.
Where does meat processing take place?
The entire harvesting process will occur indoors. Animals will be led through from the indoor corral to the indoor harvesting floor. Harvesting will take place one day per week under USDA supervision. All products will be stored in freezers and chillers inside while processing activities take place during the rest of the week. This allows for custom cuts for producers and consumers that may be unavailable in mass-produced supermarket meats and allows local customers to purchase regionally sourced proteins instead of nationally branded meats produced in huge quantities.
How much water does a meat processing facility use?
Per the preliminary water system analysis, the pipe sizes and piping layouts within the project are adequately designed to meet the demands of the development. The analysis shows that the pressures on-site will meet Carson City and NAC requirements.
The entire harvesting process will occur indoors. During this process, liquid is captured in a collection tank, prior to going down the drain and the tank is pumped out as needed. The processing floor is swept before wash down to capture any solids, and the resulting waste stream goes through a screening process prior to discharge to the treatment system.
Typical water usage expected is as follows:
– Max 4,000 gallons per day on a typical harvest day (1 day per week)
- 100 gallons per head of cattle x 20
- 50 gallons per head of sheep, goat, hog x 40
– Max 8,000 gallons per day on a fair/event week harvest day (1-3 days per week, max. 6 times per year, maximum potential animals on site – 120)
- 100 gallons per head of cattle x 40
- 50 gallons per head of sheep, goat, hog x 80
We will use up to 50% less water than the average car wash!
I’m concerned about noise with animals on-site at the meat processing facility. How will you mitigate noise?
Animals will be in the indoor corral area for 24 hours +/- each week (the day before harvesting) with an average time on site being less than or equal to 24 hours. All harvesting and processing activities will occur inside the facility, thus containing any associated noises to the confines of the building.
What about odor? Will the meat processing facility stink?
All animals will be delivered directly into an indoor corral. Any unusable portions remaining after the harvesting process will be sprayed with denature to eliminate the potential for odor and removed from the site on the day of harvest. The unusable portions will be picked up by a local rendering company and thus eliminating the potential for undesirable odors after harvest day. After the harvesting process and the meat has been processed, it is stored in the on-site freezer to remove the potential for spoiling and odor. Additionally, manure and waste material will be removed from the corral area weekly. A tractor will shovel the waste and load it into a truck to haul it off-site.
How regulated is a meat processing facility?
- Permitting as required through Carson City Building Department and Health Department
- NDEP- Wastewater Discharge Permit: inspections and annual reporting
- NV Department of Agriculture – Chapter 583 License: annual inspections
- USDA- Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) Plan: USDA Permit (facility inspection prior to opening), daily inspection
How will this project impact traffic?
The Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation Handbook, 10th Edition, indicates that trip generation for warehousing (Land Use 150) and retail sales, the most closely associated uses for this project, is 5.05 ADT per employee plus retail sales. The total trip generation is 53 ADT; (5.05 x 8 employees + 13 for retail sales). Because the project will not generate more than 80 peak hour trips or more than 500 ADT according to ITE trip generation rates, a traffic impact study is not required.
Where will people park?
The CCMC requires 1 space per 1,000 sq. ft. plus 1 space per employee for the proposed use and 1 space per 300 sq. ft. of gross floor area for the retail portion of the facility. This indicates a parking need of 14 parking spaces (4,800 sq. ft. gross floor area x 1 space/1,000 sq. ft.) + (1 space x 8 employees (max number) + (200 sq. ft. gross floor area x 1 space/300 sq. ft.). The Site Plan includes 14 parking spaces
What will the outside look like? Will it be landscaped?
The Landscape design is consistent with Title 18, Division 3 Landscaping requirements: “A minimum of 20 percent of the site’s impervious surfaces excluding the building coverage will be pervious areas of landscape material”. Based on these calculations, 6,966 sq. ft. landscape area (20% of impervious surface (34,830sq. ft.)) is required and a total of 10,188 sq. ft. is provided within the project site. The landscape areas shown on the site plan functions to buffer the facility by surrounding the proposed pavement areas. The total landscaping provided (10,188 sq. ft.) exceeds the required landscaping per code. Detailed landscape calculations and design will be provided with final plans.
The proposed project meets Master Plan Checklist standards by providing a suitable building façade with clearly identifiable entrance and ample site landscaping. (Chapter 6 Section 6.1c)
What about utilities?
There are existing water and sewer services to the subject property, with public water and sewer provided by Carson City. If necessary, the water line and sewer line configuration will be altered to allow for the proposed building.
What about stormwater?
Per the analysis contained within the conceptual drainage study, the addition of a detention facility will detain the required amount of discharge in the required storm event with no negative impact to downstream facilities and surrounding areas. The project site is located within a floodway and Zone AE, shaded Zone X and unshaded Zone X flood designations according to FEMA map #3200010112F with an effective date of June 6th, 2019. A CLOMR-F will be pursued to adjust the Flood Zone AE line so that it lies outside of the proposed pavement areas. Due to site constraints such as existing topography and location of floodway and floodplain, a large portion of the proposed 4.43 acre +/- parcel is not developable. The proposed animal processing facility would be constructed on the remaining, developable portion of the property.
This property meets the Master Plan Policy Checklist by incorporating and minimizing impact to floodplain in its vicinity (Chapter 2, Section 1.3); is located in a manner to conserve local natural resources and open space and protect the adjacent floodplain (Chapter 5, Section 5.5f); and the proposed site will be completely out of the primary floodplain located nearby. (Chapter 3 Section 3.3d).
Is this area zoned for this use?
This proposed site is zoned General Industrial. A slaughterhouse is a conditional use in the GI zoning district under section 18.04.150 of the Carson City Municipal Code; therefore, a special use permit is required. The Planning Commission is authorized to approve a special use permit.
Adjacent properties to the north, east and west are all vacant and zoned general industrial, just like the subject property. The two adjacent uses to the south are also zoned general industrial. Of these two properties, one has an industrial use located on it and the other is vacant. The site has been designed and operation protocols will be in place to eliminate any problems relating to noise and odor that are associated with the proposed use. The general neighborhood will not be negatively affected by the proposed project either as it is either not near any of the existing uses in the area or will be directly adjacent to undevelopable land.
What does Carson City planning staff say?
City staff is recommending approval of the slaughterhouse, with conditions restricting the facility’s exterior lighting, roadway, and stormwater. The application has been vetted and supported by Carson City departments including the Engineering Division and Fire Department, with no preference or objection to the project, provided their conditions are met. Read staff report here. The proposed motion to the Carson City Planning Commission from staff is as follows:
“I move to approve special use permit LU-2021-0308 based on the findings and subject to the conditions of approval contained in the staff report.”