Slaughterhouse gets permit with a caveat

The Village of Belgium Plan Commission on Monday approved a conditional use permit for Buechler Farms’ proposal to build a slaughterhouse on its property, contingent on approval of a site plan.

The permit request didn’t include a site plan, which has details of landscaping, architectural design, the size of the parking lot and access points.

“It makes a lot of sense to have that information when those conditions are agreed upon,” Village Attorney Brad Hoeft said, adding it’s “best practice” to include that.

The site plan could be approved by the Plan Commission at its next meeting, if Buechler Farms has it ready. Then construction may start.

While a public hearing was held on Monday before issuing the conditional use permit, hearings are not required before approval of site plans.

The commission also added a couple of conditions to the permit. The slaughterhouse may not accept delivery of animals between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., and it may only process 100 animals per week.

Owners Brian and Irene Buechler agreed to those conditions.

“I’m guessing the neighbors wouldn’t be thrilled if you’re bringing in animals at 2 in the morning,” commission member Vickie Boehnlein said.

Plan Commission President Pete Anzia said “you really don’t have much for neighbors close by.”

But Boehnlein said once a conditional use is issued, “it’s perpetual so we have to protect any future homeowners that might be there.”

The Buechlers plan to have Daryl Maas, a field specialist who has been in the industry since 1978, run the slaughterhouse. He said if animals arrive on the day of slaughter, it’s not usually before 6 a.m.

The night before is a different case.

Brian Buechler said some animals coming from a county fair may arrive at 9 p.m.

“If they’ve only got two people trucking animals and they’ve got 100 sheep” he said, they may make several trips and the ones to be slaughtered may be delivered last.

“It’s not my intention to want to hamper your operation but I also do think if down the road someday in that lot up there somebody ends up developing it and ends up putting in a residential district they wouldn’t want to hear a bunch of pigs squealing,” Boehnlein said.

While the Buechlers own the nearby property in question, Boehnlein questioned if the Buechlers would always own it.

Buechler Farms, the only farm in the village, wants to butcher its own animals and those of area farms. The plan is to eventually add a retail shop selling meats, cheeses and other items.

The Buechlers have said the slaughterhouse won’t affect their wedding barn and other events held throughout the year.

“If you didn’t know what it was you would never know what it is,” Irene Buechler said in past meetings.

The Village Board in January removed slaughterhouses from a list of prohibited uses and allowed them as conditional uses.

Residents voiced concerns over decreasing property values of nearby residences, smells, sounds and the cleanliness of the operation.

“We’re all about community. We would never consider doing anything that would put any kind of negativity on the people that live around here,” Irene Buechler said.
“We count on you guys to support us with our events that we do. If it’s not for you guys, we’d be out of business.”

A state inspector would be on site from the start of the slaughtering process to the finish, they said.

The state has seen a shortage of slaughterhouses due to the challenge of the physical work and a series of retirements, Maas said. In addition, old buildings aren’t being grandfathered in and upgrading to new state standards is expensive.

“There’s a huge need for it,” Maas said.

Brian Buechler said, “We’re doing it for the convenience of the small-time farmers around the area and for people like us that were suffering for how many years to try to find a butcher date.”