Plans to build broiler houses raises stink at city meeting

Residents at Holland Hills Estates seek to halt plans of former Highfill mayor to build broiler houses on his land.

— Highfill’s planning commission approved granting a conditional-use permit to former Mayor Chris Holland to allow him to build five chicken houses near the Holland Hills Estates.

The 3 to 1 vote - Dwayne Evans voting against granting the permit and Pam Harwell, Stacie Williamson and Inez Long voting in favor of the permit - did not please all in attendance at the May 24 public hearing. Dallas Cross and other homeowners in the Holland Hills Estates argued by letter and through an attorney that the commercial poultry operation was not compatible with the existing residential area several hundred feet away from the proposed poultry houses and that the application for the conditional-use permit was not completed in accordance with Highfill’s city code.

In a May 24 letter to the town’s planning commission, Dallas Cross wrote: “Commercial chicken operations are not compatible with residential developments and will prevent

me from enjoying and utilizing my home in the summertime. Prevailing winds are from the south and southwest in the summertime, which will bring the smell of the broiler house complex and the stored chicken litter directly toward my residence and the homes of my neighbors. That is an adverse effect.”

Dallas Cross also argued that the town’s city code, Section 8(b)(4), did not allow the granting of conditional use permits where doing so would adversely affect other property owners in the area.

Also supplied by Dallas Cross was a letter by Ward G. Jones of Ward Jones, Realtors, Inc., stating that the property of Dallas Cross, assessed by Benton County at $128,200could be devalued as much as 33 percent, or $42,306, if active poultry houses are constructed within 1,320 feet to the south or southwest of the Dallas Cross home.

In a May 12 letter to the members of the planning commission, Matt Bishop, attorneyfor ANB Venture, which owns property in the subdivision, argues that the conditional use permit should not be granted because it was not completed as required by city code, requiring a copy of the site plan, a map of the property and surrounding properties and a copy of a recent survey by a registered land surveyor.

In an electronically-transmitted letter to the Eagle Observer, Traven Cross, another resident in the Holland Hills Estates, wrote: “I live in Holland Hills subdivision in Highfill, Arkansas, and recently me and my neighbors were made aware that they are going to build five broiler chicken houses across the road from our subdivision. The city approved the conditional use permit to buildthese houses Tuesday, May 24. According to the zoning laws, that should not have been possible since there was no survey done or no discussion of where these chicken trucks will be pulling in and out of to get to the chicken houses. There is already one hen house that was recently built against code with no public meeting held that we were aware of. My neighbors and I are trying to do all that we can to keep these chicken houses (from being built) ... These houses will drop the value of each of our homes $35,000 to $40,000. Plus the strong smell that chicken houses have will definitely make it hard to enjoy outdoor activities. Also, these heavy trucks will destroy our road. It is paved but will not withstand chicken trucks on it all the time and will eventually eat up our nice road.”

“The closest chicken house will be 783 feet fromLot 1 of the Holland Hills Estates and 937 feet from Lot 2,” Chris Holland said by telephone on Friday. “They will be more than a 1,000 feet from Dallas Cross,” Holland said.

The city code restricts building poultry houses and other buildings to house livestock closer than 500 feet from occupied dwellings, Holland explained.

“Look around you when you come into Highfill and what do you see? It’s agricultural, with poultry houses and pastures,” he said, adding that those who buy a house in Highfill should not expect those who own agricultural land to just quit farming. “I’ve got to pay for my farm,” he said. “I can’t just let my land set idle.”

Holland said concern was raised over poultry trucks in the area of the subdivision but added that the chicken trucks would come no where near the subdivision. Healso said the homes in the Holland Hills Estates were developed by a California company and were not in any way connected to him. He said the homes there (originally priced in the $200,000 range) didn’t sell for several years but recently sold at 40 cents on the dollar. Construction on some of the homes in the subdivision was not completed.

A building permit for the poultry units was issued by city building inspector Rob Holland, according to Highfill Mayor Stacy Digby. Digby also said the city attorney, Steve Miller, was present at the planning commission meeting to represent the town of Highfill.

Chris Holland said he intends to begin construction as soon as possible.

Requested draft minutes of the Highfill Planning Commission meeting were not yet available at press time.

News, Pages 1 on 06/01/2011