Amity board approves turkey farm operation
Following a 30-minute executive session, the Amity Township Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Wednesday, Aug. 17, to grant conditional use approval for a plan to open a turkey farm operation off Route 562.
The operation is planned for a 75-acre property owned by Barry Shirey, at 6359 Boyertown Pike ( Route 562), near the Exeter Township border.
Shirey, and his son, Michael, will build two, 700-foot-by- 63- foot, wood-frame, metal roof and siding, dirt floor turkey houses, for no more than 37,840 birds “at any one time.”
The supervisors included another 20 conditions that they say will protect the health, safety, and welfare of residents.
Their conditions were taken from approximately six different witnesses that testified during the five conditional use hearings over five months regarding best management practices for soil, water, manure, composting and odor management.
The conditions include that each turkey house must have ventilation fans that are directed downward and to the southeast, as well as an operational generator in the event of a power outage
igh-intensity buffers will be installed by a registered landscaper on all sides of the turkey houses to provide additional odor management.
The 40-foot-by-15-foot-by- 6foot-high composter, with a concrete apron, which will hold 900 tons of manure, must be built according to all Environmental Protection Agency guidelines.
Manure and composting may
Shirey, and his son, Michael, will build two, 700-foot-by63-foot, woodframe, metal roof and siding, dirt floor turkey houses, for no more than 37,840 birds “at any one time.”
not be loaded or moved during rain events, but which also must be moved under roof if rain occurs during the process.
Concrete pads and aprons must be thoroughly cleaned after each loading and unloading.
Shirey must regularly submit nutrient, odor, and soil management plans to the township, provide proof of on-site well testing, and continue to meet all municipal, county, state and federal regulations.
He must comply with all township subdivision and land development ordinances and zoning during the land development process, obtain a highway occupancy permit from PennDOT for the drive- way, and have a stormwater management plan.
All forms of turkey processing are prohibited.
Shirey must also submit to the township bird birth and mortality records.
Township Sol icitor Brian F. Boland said all persons who entered their appearance on the record will receive the full written decision within the next few days.
“I commend the board for their decision for Shirey,” said Rick Cooper, Limekiln Road. “I think a majority of the opposition was from new people moving here—if you’re going to move to the country, need to get used to farming.”
“I was born in Reading and lived in the Greshville area until age 21,” said Shirey, adding, “I then moved to Snyder County to start farming.” He told the board June 16 that he had recently sold his Sny- der County poultry operation in order to operate the Amity Township turkey farm with his son, Michael.
Shirey was attended at the Aug. 17 meeting by members of his family and other supporters.
The mood of the meeting, held at the township building, 2004 Weavertown Road, was in stark contrast to the previous five hearings held across the street at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, 1312 Old Swede Road, due to the large number of attendees.
The five hearings were attended by 60 to 75 residents opposed to the turkey farm operation. They were concerned that the turkey farm was an industrial operation that would result in groundwater contamination from the manure and compost, as wall as produce an exces- sive amount of dust and odors.
Board members said at the beginning of the conditional use hearings that the intensive agricultural use is permitted as a conditional use in the RC zone, provided that it meets all state DEP (Department of Environmental Protection) and township ordinance requirements.