Planners back slaughterhouse

4 Meats advances despite church petition


Vax Allen speaks in opposition to the meat facility.

A conditional use permit application for 4 Meats Processing Center cleared a key hurdle Tuesday night as the Halifax County Planning Commission backed the project on farmland in the Mayo area near the Virginia-North Carolina state line.

Brad Miller and Chris Hudson presented their plans for the slaughterhouse facility, which would be built on land owned by Dale Miller, Brad Miller’s father, at 1093 Whitt Loop Road in Alton. Planners recommended the issuance of a conditional use permit despite opposition voiced by neighbors during a public hearing Tuesday.

Planning commission members voted unanimously to approve a permit on the condition that Miller and Hudson build a new road leading into the property, if needed, to avoid disturbing Mayo Grove Missionary Baptist Church, which adjoins the Whitt Loop Road site.

Hudson, addressing members of the planning commission and Halifax County Board of Supervisors during a joint public hearing Tuesday, emphasized that he and Miller want to work with the neighbors to placate their concerns, while offering a much-needed local meat processing facility for the county’s livestock producers.

“Both of us are community-minded individuals with excellent work ethics, and we have a desire to serve our community,” said Hudson. “We want to provide locally raised meat to our community and surrounding areas. We also want to provide jobs for our citizens and provide revenue to our local farmers.”

4 Meats Processing Center would serve a clientele of livestock producers in Halifax and adjoining counties with business hours from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, by appointment only. The facility would process beef, pork, chicken, lamb, and venison for commercial sale.

Hudson and Miller are reviving plans for the 4 Meats Processing Center after a previous application to establish the business in the Sinai area drew a backlash from residents, prompting the partners to withdraw their request and start over.

The new location on Whitt Loop encountered opposition from a handful of speakers at Tuesday’s hearing, including Vax Allen, pastor of Mayo Grove Missionary Baptist Church, who presented a petition signed by 67 people who oppose the meat processing facility.

Allen said the opposition stems from concerns about the slaughterhouse’s proximity to the church, traffic, potentially dangerous chemicals, and smell. “The members of the church, some 67 people are asking if [the board] would deny the application for the meat processing facility,” he said.

Several members of the planning commission asked Hudson and Miller to address potential traffic issues, especially during funerals at the church. Hudson responded, “We’re willing to work with the church. I know it’s an inconvenience for us, but we don’t want to inconvenience the church because you can’t plan for death. We’re more than willing to work with them to reschedule while a service is going on.”

Dale Miller added, “We’re trying to do this the right way — we don’t know how to else to do it. If I have to put a new road in [to placate the church], I’ll put a new road in. It’s been dragging on for so long. We’re trying to get this done, and that is our land.

“I’ve been a good neighbor to the church, and I will continue to be a good neighbor to the church. What do you do with land when you work hard for it? I’d like to be of service to the community,” he continued.

Anthony Wilkins, a Cluster Springs resident, raised concerns about the types of meats that would be processed at the facility. “The [CUP] application originally showed beef, chicken, and pork items processed but now adds venison and lamb. Due to the Chronic Wasting Disease issue, I’m concerned about venison in particular,” Wilkins said.

“We’ve talked about the partnership [between] the church and the owners, but what happens if the business actually gets sold to new owners? Does the restrictions [transfer over] to a new owner?”

Planning commission member Jimmy Watts said that in his experience with similar facilities, no noise or smell is likely to emanate from 4 Meats Processing Center that will be noticeable to the neighbors. He made a motion to recommend the issuance of a permit, with the added condition that the owners be willing to build a new road if necessary to avoid disrupting the church.

It will be up to the Board of Supervisors to take action on the permit application at a later date. The next regular Board of Supervisors meeting is slated for Tuesday, Jan. 3, at 6:30 p.m. In the coming year, all Board of Supervisors regular and joint meetings will take place in the newly renovated County Administration Building — the former Mary Bethune High School industrial arts building — at 1050 Mary Bethune Street in Halifax.

 

 

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