Opposition is building against a confined feeding operation proposed for Hawcreek township, which would be the 10th for Bartholomew County.
Scott Templeton on Monday will ask the Bartholomew County Board of Zoning Appeals for a conditional use permit to build a swine facility at 20530 E. County Road 700N, about two miles east of Hope at the intersection of county roads 700 North and 1150 East. The CFO is proposed on 137 acres of farmland owned by Templeton that is zoned Agricultural Preferred.
The single-tunnel, ventilated confinement building, which would be 566 feet long by 71 feet wide, would include a concrete basin under the animal storage area that provides 365 days of manure generation, according to an application filed June 19 with the City of Columbus-Bartholomew County Planning Department.
If approved, the CFO will accommodate about 5,000 head of wean-to-finish swine. But there would be times when it would house a maximum of 11,000 nursery pigs weighing 40 to 70 pounds that would be on site for a maximum of 12 to 14 weeks before being moved to other facilities, the application states.
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The BZA will hold a public hearing on Templeton’s request when it meets at 7 p.m. Monday at Columbus City Hall.
A written by an opposition group, Bartholomew County Residents Alliance, has been circulating this past week through social media.
Posted on July 14 through the change.org website, the petition asks that Templeton’s request be denied on the grounds that there is:
A high level of risk for contamination of wetlands within 100 feet of the building, which run into Clifty Creek.
A high level of risk for contamination of nearby wells and the underlying aquifer, due to the shallow nature of the surface soil and the high ground water level.
A significant exposure of residents to toxic gas and particulate matter increasing their risk of heart disease, lung disease, asthma and antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
A significant decrease in property values of neighboring homes.
As of Thursday, the petition had gathered about 750 supporters.
“Will this CFO hinder the quality of life for (Schaefer) Lake, the town of Hope and rural residents?” CFO opponent Nancy Banta asked in a letter to the editor published Wednesday in The Republic. “Will this CFO bring the property values down and cause harm to the physical and economic health of the community?”
But when alliance member John O’Halloran voiced his concerns June 19 to the Hope Town Council, most of his remarks focused on potential threats from any CFO operation, rather than those posed specifically by the Templeton proposal.
While considering earlier CFO proposals, members of the BZA have told audience members they are more receptive to case-specific details than generalities or emotional appeals.
Rather than their own values or public opinions, members use an established criteria to determine whether an applicant meets a certain criteria.
In this case, all criteria has been successfully met, according to a report prepared by senior planner Ashley Beckort. She is recommending that the board approve Templeton’s request.
In addressing criteria specifics, Beckort wrote that the CFO:
Will not be injurious to public health, safety and general welfare;
Is consistent with the intent of development standards;
Will not permanently injure other property or uses in the same vicinity; and
Is consistent with the district’s character.
Beckort’s report also acknowledges the proposal meets all required local property setbacks and minimum separation distances, and was given a permit May 16 from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. The permit means Templeton’s plans meets state requirements for large-scale swine operations
Concern has been expressed by opponents about the potential pollution of Duck Creek, which runs diagonally across the property and continues southeast to the Schaefer Lake area near Hope. However, Beckort’s report states there are no flood hazards that might carry manure into the creek.
In regard to Templeton’s proposed diversion berm intended to protect Duck Creek from potential spills and increase the amount of time to respond to a potential spill, Beckort’s report did not attempt to evaluated its adequacy. Instead, it only states the berm has been approved by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.
When opponents in an audience have previously asked BZA members to consider potential consequences of proposed manure applications, they have been reminded by board members that such matters are regulated by IDEM and the Indiana State Chemist, and are out of the BZA’s jurisdiction.
Following the public hearing and the presentation of evidence, there will be four options available to the BZA: It can approve the petition as proposed, approve the petition with conditions, continue the petition to a future board meeting or deny the petition.
Failure to achieve a quorum or lack of a positive vote on a motion results in an automatic continuance to the next regularly scheduled meeting.
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The following are confined feeding operations in Bartholomew County that have received permits from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.
- Bob Town, near county roads 150W and 1050S, Columbus
- Dodd Farms Inc., 9696 N. State Road 9, Hope
- Gelfius Farms, 20565 E. County Road 200N, Hartsville
- Innovative Ag Solutions, 20565 E. County Road 200N, Hartsville
- J&A Asset Management, 15480 Stafford Road, Hope
- Jay F. Shoaf, 11550 E. County Road 950N, Hope
- Jeffrey Shoaf (two locations), 11420 E. County Road 800N, Hope and near county roads 800N and 900E, Hope
- Shawvue Farms, near county roads 735N and 900E, Hope
- Stafford Farms, Stafford Road and County Road 900E, Hope
- Trotter Barn, 13185 North County Road 670E, Hope
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Scott Templeton’s request for a conditional use permit to build a confined feeding operation near the intersection of county roads 700 North and 1150 East will be heard by the Bartholomew County Board of Zoning Appeals.
The meeting begins at 7 p.m. Monday in the first-floor Cal Brand Meeting Room at Columbus City Hall.
Although the matter is second on the agenda, the BZA has been known to change its agenda at the beginning of a meeting to allow other matters to be considered first.
The BZA’s intent is to spare other petitioners from sitting through lengthy and controversial discussions before their matter is brought up for consideration.
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Templeton, LLC is applying for a conditional use for the construction of a swine confined feeding operation in Hawcreek Township. It will be located on property currently zoned Agricultural Preferred located at 20530 E. County Road 700N.
Owner Scott Templeton intends to construct a single-tunnel, ventilated confinement building for wean-to-finish swine. The building will house about 5,000 head of swine. But it is also being constructed for a maximum capacity of 11,000 nursery pigs, which would exist on site for a maximum of 12 to 14 weeks per year (two rounds of 6-7 weeks each) before separation and removal to a separate facility.
The 40,246-square-foot building will include a 7-foot, 8-inch deep concrete basin directly below the area where the animals will be housed, in compliance with state standards.
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The proposal by Scott Templeton to building a confined feeding operation meets all required local property setbacks and minimum separation distances, according to a report from the City of Columbus-Bartholomew County Planning Department.
The Bartholomew County commissioners approved an ordinance in 2016 that calls for quarter-mile setbacks for confined feeding operations from schools, health care facilities and churches and 500 feet from a residential lot in an agricultural zone. The new setbacks also require a 500-foot setback from any well.
The ordinance came from a majority opinion issued in the fall of 2015 by a 12-member regulation study committee that examined the issue for more than a year.
The ordinance was widely viewed as a compromise between people who favor little or no changes in regulations to protect farmers’ property rights, and those who want extensive setbacks to protect what they consider threats to public health and the environment.
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