PUBLIC HEARING AGENDA REQUEST

Sponsor:

Board of Supervisors Meeting Date:

Department of Community Development

July 21, 2003

Staff Lead:

Department: 

Kimberley Johnson, Zoning Administrator

Community Development

Topic: 

An Ordinance Approving the Amendment to Section 3-317, Section 5-1705 and Section 15-300 of the Fauquier County Zoning Ordinance to Add Abattoir as a Use, Provide Standards for the Abattoir Use and Add a Definition of Abattoir

 

Topic Description:

On June 26, 2003 , the Planning Commission held a public hearing on this proposed text amendment and voted to forward the text amendment with refined text, as provided in Attachment 1.

The Fauquier County Zoning Ordinance currently does not have a specific listing for abattoirs in Section 3-300 (Uses), leaving the possible location of this use to the interpretation of the Zoning Administrator.  The use has been granted via a special permit from the Fauquier County Board of Zoning Appeals in the Industrial-1 Zoning District under the category of 3-317.1 as “any industrial use which is not contained entirely within a building or completely screened from view including salvage yards and contractor’s offices, shops and materials storage yards less than one acre …”

An abattoir approved under the general industrial category is limited in size to less than one acre.   Standard setbacks for industrial zones, size of drainfield/reserve drainfield areas, landscaping and mandatory parking levels, leave little usable space on the parcel.   While the current Boots Ritchie site plan application for an abattoir being processed by Community Development is located on just under one acre, as required by the current Zoning Ordinance, the result is a tightly constrained site with no flexibility for even minimal future expansion or adjustments to the plan.  This proposed package of text amendments would not limit the amount of acreage for the use, providing more flexibility in siting an abattoir. 

This package of text amendments would cite an abattoir as a specific use, which would be limited to the Industrial-1 (I-1) and Industrial-2 (I-2) Zoning Districts and require special exception and site plan approvals.  A definition of an abattoir also would be inserted into the Ordinance to outline what activities constitute an abattoir.

The package of amendments also would include additional standards to ameliorate impacts on possible surrounding rural and residential properties.  Several of these standards also will aid in diminishing impacts on surrounding industrial and commercial properties.

 

Requested Action of the Planning Commission: 

Hold a public hearing on the proposed text amendment, as set forth in the attached Ordinance of approval.

Financial Impacts Analysis:

No analysis was conducted for this proposed amendment.

 

Identify any other Departments, Organizations or Individuals that would be affected by this request:

Board of Supervisors

Agricultural Development Office

 Attachment 1                  Ordinance of Approval

ORDINANCE

AN ORDINANCE APPROVING THE AMENDMENT TO SECTION 3-317, SECTION 5-1705 AND SECTION 15-300 OF THE FAUQUIER COUNTY ZONING ORDINANCE TO ADD ABATTOIR AS A USE, PROVIDE STANDARDS FOR THE ABATTOIR USE AND ADD A DEFINITION OF ABATTOIR

WHEREAS, the Fauquier County Zoning Ordinance does not specifically provide for the abattoir, except as an industrial use on less than one acre pursuant to Section 3.317-1; and

            WHEREAS, this text amendment would specifically provide for an abattoir use in the Fauquier County Zoning Ordinance; and

WHEREAS, on June 26, 2003 , the Fauquier County Planning Commission held a public hearing; and

WHEREAS, the Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of these amendments; and

WHEREAS, on July 21, 2003 , the Fauquier County Board of Supervisors held a public hearing; and

WHEREAS, the adoption of this text amendment would be in the spirit of the Zoning Ordinance and is in the best interest of the citizens of Fauquier County ; now, therefore, be it

ORDAINED by the Fauquier County Board of Supervisors this 21st day of July 2003, That Section 3-317, Section 5-1705 and Section 15-300 be, and are hereby, amended to provide for the abattoir use in the I-1/Industrial and I-2/Industrial zoning districts.  The sections will be amended to read as follows:

3-317      GENERAL INDUSTRIAL (CATEGORY 17)

SITE PLAN                 I-1       I-2

7.   Abattoir                                    X                           SE        SE

5-1705  ADDITIONAL STANDARDS FOR AN ABATTOIR

1.         Any structure or loading or unloading area associated with the use shall not be located within 50 feet of any property line which is in a Rural District, or within 100 feet of any property line which is in a Residential District.

2.         All animals awaiting processing are to be housed within a fully enclosed structure.

3.         All inedible offal, meat that is not food, condemned material and refuse of the meat processing shall be refrigerated and stored in the interior of a fully enclosed structure until time of pick up or final disposal.

4.         All loading and unloading areas for animals shall be screened from adjoining properties.

5.         Humane bedding shall be provided for animals housed over 24 hours.

6.         Proper disposal of all bedding materials shall be required.

7.         All animals that shall remain onsite for up to 12 hours are to be supplied food and water.

8.         Proper ventilation of all holding areas shall be provided.

15-300    DEFINITIONS

ABATTOIR:  A place where poultry, livestock or other animals for consumption are commercially slaughtered and where the meat may be cut, packaged, and/or processed.