SAYBROOK, Ohio — A chicken processing plant now has permission to operate near homes, a church, and a parochial school in Ashtabula County.
At a zoning meeting Monday night in Saybrook Township, members of the community showed up at Ashtabula Lakeside High School to hear the decision of the board. Many were not pleased with the final approval.
The owners of the land on Depot Road want to process and sell chicken, which means dispatching the animals inside a building on that property. However, the area is just a few doors down from Saint John School, and there are also residents living just yards away. Those residents have concerns about what this type of facility would do to property values as well as the quality of life for families in the neighborhood.
"They cannot promise it will not stink," townsman Joe Yankie said. "We moved there 18 months ago, and we never would have if we knew this. Ninety percent-plus said, 'We don't want this.'"
However, the plants operators say the concerns are overstated.
"Any of the inedibles are going to be taken out to a processing rendering plant in Cleveland every day," owner Jim Buck told 3News. "So the stuff is going to be taken out of the birds, put in a barrel, and put on a truck in that same day and taken to Cleveland."
While the plant has been given the green light to operate, there are some restrictions. Those opposing the planned facility say they will take their arguments to court in an effort to halt the activity.