Possible ordinance change ruffles feathers
County planning commission wants to beef up regulations for poultry houses, livestock feed lots
Walker County livestock farmers questioned proposed changes to the poultry house ordinance at the planning commission’s recent meeting.
More than two dozen people attended the Walker County Planning Commission’s Jan. 9 called meeting to hear the discussion about ordinances regarding poultry houses, a new proposed commercial agriculture zone and the minimum square footage for residential dwellings, or tiny houses. The meeting agenda also included election of 2020 officers but did not set aside time for public comments.
The meeting lasted nearly three hours and included lengthy discussion.
“We’re not trying to put anybody out of business,” commission chairman Phillip Cantrell, explaining that the county is attempting to balance the demands of residential growth with its agricultural heritage.
The planning commission proposed a compromise of setbacks on all property lines, no matter the zoning, at 400 feet or 250 feet with a 50-foot live, growing buffer of approved poultry air quality vegetation maintained and installed by the property owner.
These recommendations included criteria specifying that plants must be suited and adapted to the soils, climate and conservation purpose and must either be included on the approved list or specified by an appropriate specialist. The minimum width of this practice is 5 feet; the maximum width is 30 feet.
“There is no timetable at this point,” Joe Legge, county public relations director, replied when asked when county Commissioner Shannon Whitfield would consider the proposals.
The process for adopting or amending an ordinance is for the planning commission to send a recommendation to the Whitfield’s office and then for a formal ordinance or ordinance amendment to be drafted and advertised, which would then be followed by two public hearings, Legge said.
Legge estimates the process would probably take a few months.
Current poultry houses and feed lots would be grandfathered in at the current setbacks under the proposed changes.
The planning commission regularly meets on the third Thursday of the month at 6 p.m. at the Walker County Civic Center.