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Tag Archives: Valley Oaks

Sen. Denny Hoskins (r): regulated land use is evil, until it isn’t

12 Monday Aug 2019

Posted by Michael Bersin in Missouri General Assembly, Missouri Senate

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

21st Senate District, CAFO, Denny Hoskins, Hypocrisy, Johnson County, missouri, planning and zoning, Valley Oaks, Warrensburg, Warrensburg City Council

Right.

Denny Hoskins (r) [2017 file photo].

In March:

Senate bill aims to prohibit county restrictions on agricultural enterprises
By Sue Sterling sue.sterling@dsjnow.com Mar 18, 2019
[….]
Hoskins said he believes the bill has a chance to pass in the Senate.

He said he voted for the bill because he is “frustrated with the constant attacks on agriculture,” not just in Missouri but nationally, such as the Green New Deal proposed by some congressional Democrats.

“I’m definitely a supporter of agriculture,” he said.

Some counties, Hoskins said, have passed such restrictive regulations that “you can’t farm.”

While the regulations do not affect existing farms, he said, they could limit expansion of those farms.
[….]
He noted that voters in Johnson County have consistently voted against planning and zoning.

Industrialized agriculture is needed, he said, because small farmers cannot afford the cost of land and equipment and feed.
[….]

And now? The expansion of a pre-existing convenience store on to two adjacent residential lots (which would need to be rezoned) (if approved, with, as it was explained to me this morning, a thirty foot planted buffer between the business and the remaining residential lots) is being challenged by some neighboring Warrensburg residents. The city planning and zoning commission has already approved the rezoning, 5-1. The Warrensburg City Council will vote on approval at a meeting this month.

One letter in opposition to the rezoning:

July 28,2019

Dear Warrensburg Planning and Zoning Commission:

We are writing to you today concerning the proposed change in zoning of the property at 310 East Gay Street and 309 East Market Street from residential to general business. Unfortunately, we are unable to attend the Planning and Zoning meeting, but will be in attendance for the City Council meeting on August 12.

We live at 314 East Gay Street and also own the house next door at 312 East Gay Street. When we purchased our property almost 3 years ago, we knew the lot at 310 East Gay Street was zoned residential R-2. We felt comfort knowing that a residential home could be built on the lot at 310 East Gay, but a commercial building could not be built on the lot.

We have no concerns with keeping the properties zoned residential R-2. However, our realtor as well as another realtor on City Council have expressed their concern to us our home property value will decrease if the request for a change in zoning from residential to general business is approved by planning and zoning and the city council. If the change in zoning is approved, a commercial building could be a mere 30 feet away from our property versus the 96 feet distance under the current zoning requirements.

We have put a lot of time, sweat and tears in remodeling our home which was built in 1905. It would be beyond frustrating to see all of our hard-work and money spent updating and improving our home disappear due to a change in zoning from residential to general business.

We humbly ask that you consider the negative effect on our homes property value if the change in zoning is approved and ask you for your vote against the zoning change.

Sincerely,
s/
Senator Denny and Michelle Hoskins

Capital letter “L” libertarianism at the statewide level meets “but my quality of life and property values” at the local level. It is a very rare thing to witness karma and the closure of a circle of hypocrisy wrapped up in such a neat little package, all within such a short amount of time.

Suppose you threw a DNR CAFO hearing in Warrensburg and everyone came? – Chuck Petentler

07 Saturday Apr 2018

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

CAFO, Chuck Petentler, Department of Natural Resources, DNR, hearing, Johnson County, missouri, Powell Gardens, Valley Oaks, Warrensburg

It’s all about the money.

A company is in the process of creating an “up to” 6,999 beef cattle confined animal feeding operation (CAFO) on 400 acres on U.S. 50 in western Johnson County, just west of Powell Gardens. The Missouri Department of Natural Resource held a permit hearing in Warrensburg on Tuesday evening.

Chuck Petentler, a Johnson County resident, spoke:

[Chuck Petentler][spelling] I’m a Jonson County resident, about thirty-five years. You know, sometimes at the end of the day you just got to do what’s right. You might look at the, uh, all the statistics and do they meet minimum specifications. And maybe the answer is, yes they do. So maybe you can do the right thing. But, or really good, what’s right. What’s important is to do the right thing. You know, I look these people here with the red shirts. If anything they said is remotely true. There’s a chance that, yes, they will suffer some severe illnesses or, or their lifestyle will be, will be, will be changed. If there’s a chance, let’s say, uh, one in ten. My opinion, that’s enough to say, wait. [applause] Think about it. [shouting] Don’t think about what’s right [inaudible], think about doing the right thing. [applause]

Previously:

Now that’s a CAFO (March 18, 2018)

Now that’s a CAFO – comments addressed to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (March 21, 2018)

Suppose you threw a DNR CAFO hearing in Warrensburg and everyone came? (April 3, 2018)

Suppose you threw a DNR CAFO hearing in Warrensburg and everyone came? – photos (April 5, 2018)

Suppose you threw a DNR CAFO hearing in Warrensburg and everyone came? – Tabitha Schmidt, CEO President, Powell Gardens (April 5, 2018)

Suppose you threw a DNR CAFO hearing in Warrensburg and everyone came? – Karen Lux (April 5, 2018)

Suppose you threw a DNR CAFO hearing in Warrensburg and everyone came? – Al Weir (April 6, 2017)

Suppose you threw a DNR CAFO hearing in Warrensburg and everyone came? – Aimee Davenport on behalf of Powell Gardens (April 6, 2018)

Suppose you threw a DNR CAFO hearing in Warrensburg and everyone came? – Eric Tschanz (April 7, 2018)

Suppose you threw a DNR CAFO hearing in Warrensburg and everyone came? – Eric Tschanz

07 Saturday Apr 2018

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

CAFO, Deartment of Natural Resources, DNR, hearing, Johnson County, missouri, Powell Gardens, Valley Oaks, Warrensburg

It’s all about the money.

A company is in the process of creating an “up to” 6,999 beef cattle confined animal feeding operation (CAFO) on 400 acres on U.S. 50 in western Johnson County, just west of Powell Gardens. The Missouri Department of Natural Resource held a permit hearing in Warrensburg on Tuesday evening.

Eric Tschanz, Director Emeritus, Powell Gardens spoke:

[Eric Tschanz][spelling] I’m the Director Emeritus of Powell Gardens. [turning to audience] I’m not a hired gun. I’m retired. Okay? Um, and I won’t repeat all the numbers of the volumes of urine and manure that will be produced. It is amazing. But I will state that for my own home sanitary system I had to meet more stringent requirements on my three acres. [applause] I do this within three miles of this factory zone. So I ask the DNR today to deny this permit and as the DNR take a step forward. Help save this planet for our children and our grandchildren. Thank you. [applause]

Previously:

Now that’s a CAFO (March 18, 2018)

Now that’s a CAFO – comments addressed to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (March 21, 2018)

Suppose you threw a DNR CAFO hearing in Warrensburg and everyone came? (April 3, 2018)

Suppose you threw a DNR CAFO hearing in Warrensburg and everyone came? – photos (April 5, 2018)

Suppose you threw a DNR CAFO hearing in Warrensburg and everyone came? – Tabitha Schmidt, CEO President, Powell Gardens (April 5, 2018)

Suppose you threw a DNR CAFO hearing in Warrensburg and everyone came? – Karen Lux (April 5, 2018)

Suppose you threw a DNR CAFO hearing in Warrensburg and everyone came? – Al Weir (April 6, 2017)

Suppose you threw a DNR CAFO hearing in Warrensburg and everyone came? – Aimee Davenport on behalf of Powell Gardens (April 6, 2018)

Suppose you threw a DNR CAFO hearing in Warrensburg and everyone came? – Aimee Davenport on behalf of Powell Gardens

06 Friday Apr 2018

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

Amy Davenport, CAFO, DNR, hearing, Johnson County, missouri, Powell Gardens, Valley Oaks, Warrensburg

It’s all about the money.

A company is in the process of creating an “up to” 6,999 beef cattle confined animal feeding operation (CAFO) on 400 acres on U.S. 50 in western Johnson County, just west of Powell Gardens. The Missouri Department of Natural Resource held a permit hearing in Warrensburg on Tuesday evening.

Aimee Davenport of Stinson, Leonard, Street spoke on behalf of Powell Gardens:

Good evening. I’m Aimee Davenport with the law firm of Stinson, Leonard, Street on behalf of Powell Gardens. [spelling] Thank you very much for this opportunity to comment. Uh, part of my, uh, career in clean water work involves reviewing permits, uh, for compliance, reviewing regulations, statutes, and writing permit terms, um, as necessary. Both on the, on the private side as well as, uh, previously in the public sector.

And never before have I seen a situation that warrants a permit denial more than this one. [applause] Valley Oak Steak Company is applying for a general permit that is meant and its purpose is to govern standard, a category of standard operations, a category of very similar operations. And it contains very standard environmental protection provisions. This is not a standard operation. Missouri’s own regulations only require a general permit, uh, to be issued for categories of operations that are substantially similar in nature, have substantially similar effluent discharges and that can substantially conditioned in the same manner to protect waters of the state. This permit doesn’t do that.

One of the ways, uh, to begin with, one of the ways this is such a different situation is, is the population density that we’re dealing with here. Within a few mile radius we have six thou, over six thousand people. Within a two mile radius we still over a thousand families. And of course, as you’re hearing from me and my, my colleagues at Powell Gardens you have a priceless community treasure within three miles that is, will be devastated with the issuance of this permit.

So this is not a standard situation. It needs to be viewed as that. It needs to be evaluated in environmental standpoint, um, as a very special situation due to the nature of the population density and the exotic community gardens that is within three miles of that facility.

Secondly, the combined nature of what they’re doing and the slaughterhouse Valley Oaks [inaudible] the existing slaughterhouse and the addition of almost 7,000 cattle, uh, the combined environmental impacts of those things need to be viewed together not separately. Which is what, uh, Valley Oaks, uh, is attempting to do with its separate permit process, processes. And that is not, um, that’s not consistent with the departments view on watershed planning and viewing environmental im, impacts in a totality of circum, circumstances. And we’re asking you to, to do that with Valley Oaks’ proposal.

Lastly, the permit application as submitted is, is severely deficient in many ways as my colleague after me will, will speak to in later detail.

For these reasons we ask you to please deny the general permit requested by Valley Oaks. Thank you. [applause]

Previously:

Now that’s a CAFO (March 18, 2018)

Now that’s a CAFO – comments addressed to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (March 21, 2018)

Suppose you threw a DNR CAFO hearing in Warrensburg and everyone came? (April 3, 2018)

Suppose you threw a DNR CAFO hearing in Warrensburg and everyone came? – photos (April 5, 2018)

Suppose you threw a DNR CAFO hearing in Warrensburg and everyone came? – Tabitha Schmidt, CEO President, Powell Gardens (April 5, 2018)

Suppose you threw a DNR CAFO hearing in Warrensburg and everyone came? – Karen Lux (April 5, 2018)

Suppose you threw a DNR CAFO hearing in Warrensburg and everyone came? – Al Weir (April 6, 2017)

Suppose you threw a DNR CAFO hearing in Warrensburg and everyone came? – Karen Lux

05 Thursday Apr 2018

Posted by Michael Bersin in Uncategorized

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

CAFO, Deartment of Natural Resources, DNR, Johnson County, Karen Kux, missouri, Valley Oaks, Warrensburg

It’s all about the money.

A company is in the process of creating an “up to” 6,999 beef cattle confined animal feeding operation (CAFO) on 400 acres on U.S. 50 in western Johnson County, just west of Powell Gardens. The Missouri Department of Natural Resource held a permit hearing in Warrensburg on Tuesday evening.

Karen Lux, a resident of the area, spoke at the hearing:

Obviously, I wish everyone here could see our powerpoints and our visuals. Um, if you got a handout please share it. I am Karen Lux, daughter of Jack and Caroline Wilkinson whose property in part is a centennial farm that has been established since the late 1800s and neighbors the Valley Oaks CAFO site. I’m a lifelong resident in this community and my parents have a total of nine grandchildren residing there, the seventh generation. I am submitting letters from four of that seventh generation this evening. Many generations have worked hard to preserve this land and pass it down, such as my father who is a multi generational cattle farmer and my mother, a very successful real estate agent. And I’ve followed in her footsteps.

On my slide you would have seen a photo from March 26th of this year. This photo shows a river basically running down the property from the CAFO buildings. No terraces, lack of ground cover or grass waterways allow the manure from the land application to pollute our waterways. There’s an increasing trend for flood in the Midwest. The watershed from this facility already flow to an impaired 303D waterway at the South Grand River. And due to CAFOs potential spill the EPA designated CAFOs as point sources of pollution.

The Valley Oaks nutrient management plan states they will spread manure on the ground where the facility is located. This land has no ground cover, the corn stubble has been removed, and corn is the only crop being grown on this property. These factors allow the [inaudible] to run off into the FEMA high risk Zone A flood plain. The taller weeds show terraces are not being maintained, which create ditches. And they do have a lot of field erosion. Crop lines are running vertically downhill from the CAFO buildings towards a FEMA high risk Zone A flood plain.

Another picture I had, take March 18th, showed manure was applied to the land where the facility is located the day before a forecasted large rainfall. The Valley Oaks nutrient management plan, Section D, Number 3, states, “No land application if precipitation likely to create runoff is forecasted within 24 hours.” And Section A states, “manure will be disked into the ground.” Neither regulation was followed.

Per Valley Oaks’ permit a hundred six thousand two hundred and twelve tons per year of manure will come from this facility. Or, two hundred and ninety tons per day that is being produced by one less than seven thousand head of cattle. Two hundred and ninety tons per day is the amount of waste created by the cities of Independence and Lee’s Summit, Missouri combined. Also equivalent to the mass of thirty-five elephants. Per Valley Oaks’ application the mass of ten of these elephants will be bagged and old daily. How is that possible?

On March 19th, after, the day after the manure application picture one point four seven inches of rain occurred. In the picture I had it would show you a tire in the, in the picture. Obviously, after we had a large rain that tire had disappeared. According to the current land permit it states that “water shall be free from used tires.” Both violations of their permit.

One point four seven inches of rain occurred on March 19th, the day after the manure application. The pictures would show major water flow coming from the land toward [U.S.] 50 Highway along with major water pooling near the FEMA high risk flood plain on the north side of the CAFO building. […] Excellent. I will finish up, sir.

As a real estate agent I can’t fathom the effects on our community. As the picture I showed, handed out, there’s approximately eight hundred eighty residences within a three mile radius. That’s horrible to see all those families affected.

My last statement would be, when big, big business can come into our established community and tell a multi generational farmer, “If you find you can’t deal with it you can come to our office and we’ll make you an offer.” Our county and our state government is not working for the people. [applause]

Previously:

Now that’s a CAFO (March 18, 2018)

Now that’s a CAFO – comments addressed to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (March 21, 2018)

Suppose you threw a DNR CAFO hearing in Warrensburg and everyone came? (April 3, 2018)

Suppose you threw a DNR CAFO hearing in Warrensburg and everyone came? – photos (April 5, 2018)

Suppose you threw a DNR CAFO hearing in Warrensburg and everyone came? – Tabitha Schmidt, CEO President, Powell Gardens (April 5, 2018)

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