Source: Beatrice Daily Sun
The Gage County Board of Supervisors held public hearings for two special use permit applications during its regular Wednesday meeting.
One hearing was regarding a proposed swine feeding operation near Adams, and the other for the expansion of an anhydrous ammonia site, also in northern Gage County.
The board’s policy is to not take action at the same meeting as the hearings, but heard testimony from the public and permit applicants during the meeting.
The proposed swine operation has been met with resistance from area residents, and was sent to the board for consideration after being approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission with a 5-2 vote.
Planning and Zoning Administrator Lisa Wiegand discussed the proposed operation with the board, and said it’s for a proposed 2,500 animal unit facility.
“This permit, as you know, has taken time to review,” she said. “Rest assured your commission has looked at a lot of different things and taken discussion and concern from the neighbors into effect also.”
The operation would be on ground owned by Dean Otto and operated by Summit Agricultural Group.
Otto said a lot of consideration went into selecting the proposed site, which he added is the most secluded of any of his properties.
“The site meets all of the zoning regulations and setbacks,” he said. “I looked at all my farms in Gage County, this one has the least amount of houses within one mile. Most of my farms there’s always a house within ½ mile or just outside ½ mile. It’s the furthest place we can find to keep a hog shed from anybody else.”
Mitch Baum, business development manager at Summit Agricultural Group, added that the project would support the local economy and use local workers.
“Of all the projects I’ve worked on since starting at Summit about 18 years ago, frankly this is the most local project we’ve worked on,” he said. “The pig owner is located in Jefferson County, the contractor is from this county. On other projects that hasn’t been the case… This site will be here for quite some time and we take great pride in that.”
Eight people spoke in opposition to the project during the public hearing, which lasted nearly three hours.
They expressed concerns ranging from impact on the roads and property values to living with the smell and potential water shortage issues.
Ivy Bloom, who lives between Pickrell and Adams, spoke during the hearing to express her concern for the operation’s potential impact on property values and the health of area residents.
“We live on and love our 108 year old farm place,” she said. “It’s an acreage with an original 1915 barn and the original 1920s farmhouse. We have worked very hard to restore and make our property beautiful and a place of peace. We, like most people, choose to live in the country to enjoy solitude and fresh air. Many families in our neighborhood have lived in Hanover Township for many generations… Northern Gage County is not an appropriate area for a hog confinement.”
The second public hearing for a special use permit was regarding an expansion to an anhydrous ammonia plant. Wiegand said Farmers Cooperative was previously granted a permit for the plant in 2020, which included two tanks.
Wednesday’s hearing was regarding a potential expansion that includes two phases, the first of which is for another 30,000-gallon tank matching those currently on the site.
No opposition was heard during the hearing, and the board is expected to vote on both special use permits at a future meeting.
