Bettina Puckett, Shelbyville News Staff Writer
A Purdue University student who wants to operate a farm that would house 4,000 hogs was successful in going through his first governmental hurdle this week, but some of his neighbors continue to have questions about the details of the operation.
Joel Parker appeared before the Shelby County Board of Zoning Appeals Tuesday night to request a special exception to allow the development of a brand-new confined animal feeding operation, or CAFO, located at 8609 W. 500S, which is in the southwestern portion of Hendricks Township, near the Johnson County line.
"Mr. Parker wants to operate a quad unit, which allows for the housing of 4,000 hogs," said Amy Butcher, executive director of the Shelby County Plan Commission.
Shelby County's current zoning ordinance requires that anyone who wants to develop a CAFO must ask for a special exception, which requires a public hearing. "The first step for anyone is to come and get local zoning approval," Butcher said.
A CAFO is defined in Shelby County's current zoning ordinance as having 300 or more cattle, 600 or more swine or sheep, or 30,000 or more fowl, per facility.
At Tuesday night's meeting, several neighbors spoke in opposition to the proposed facility or had questions about it. "Many questions were based around water quality of wells and an open ditch that lies to the south of the proposed property," Butcher said. "Obviously, another big concern is the smell."
Several questions were asked by the neighbors, such as how the actual farm building would be constructed and how traffic would be impacted, she said.
"Mr. Parker was able to address several of those issues," Butcher said. Parker highlighted the stringent process the Indiana Department of Environmental Management has for approving a CAFO, including soil and water tests that must be accomplished, she said.
Parker is scheduled to graduate from Purdue in May. His parents own the property where the proposed CAFO would be built. Butcher said Parker plans to live with his parents until he is able to build a home on the property.
Butcher said the area where the CAFO is proposed is in a relatively sparsely populated area of the county, which is predominantly agricultural. A few homes are located near the site. "The facility cannot be closer than 1,300 feet from an adjoining residence," she said.
When the vote was taken, it was 4-1 in favor of the special exception. Randy Miller, president of the BZA, cast the dissenting vote.
Since Parker received the approval of the BZA for the special exception, his next step will be to go through a formal process to gain approval for the new facility from IDEM. "If the Indiana Department of Environmental Management grants its approval, (Parker) will need to obtain an Improvement Location Permit for the construction of the new facilities," Butcher said.
An interesting element to this story has to do with the revision of Shelby County's comprehensive plan, which was recently adopted by the Shelby County Board of Commissioners.
"During the comp plan process, it was brought forward by numerous residents in the county that it was important to allow for the continued vitality of the agricultural industry," Butcher said. "There was a lot of discussion regarding areas that are best suited for agriculture that don't have infrastructure, such as roads or sewers. Hendricks Township was designated as one such place."
County officials also evaluated Gov. Mitch Daniels' Indiana Department of Agriculture plan for 2025. "One of the strategies was to double pork production in the state of Indiana," Butcher said.
While it is currently necessary to get a special exception to develop a CAFO, when Shelby County's zoning ordinances are updated within the next year, that no longer will be necessary in certain areas of the county. "If you're in an area designated as agricultural and you meet the criteria, then you would not have to go for a special exception," she said.
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