The Emporia Gazette

May 27, 2012

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By a 6-1 vote, the Area Planning Commission said Hill’s Pet Nutrition can have the zoning it needs for a new pet food plant in Emporia.

The measure still requires city commission approval next month. If passed, it would turn 40 acres of farmland into light industrial property at East Logan Avenue and Road M5. The landowners, James and Sharon Woods, have an agreement to sell the land to Emporia Enterprises for the Hill’s plant.

All together, the Hill’s site will occupy 80 acres just south of where the new REG biodiesel plant will be. The 300,000 square-foot plant is projected to add 100 jobs and would represent an investment of more than $100 million. The company has its headquarters in Topeka.

Hill’s representative Bob Howard of Topeka, said the company would pave most of the road surfaces around the plant with asphalt and concrete to keep the dust down. Many of the noisier operations would be either in enclosed buildings or on the north side of the property, toward other industries and away from nearby homes.

“We do not want to be a problem,” Howard said. “We’ve learned the best way to exist in a community is to be the best neighbor possible.”

Howard said the plant’s odor-treatment equipment would be the same as the company used in the Los Angeles area, equipment that met the Southern California environmental standards.

“There are virtually no odors,” he said. “Now the bakery actually gets the majority of the complaints in Commerce City.”

The one vote against the measure came from Gilbert Stefan. As in prior meetings, he said, he didn’t feel the neighbors were adequately cared for.

“I’m not against of these corporate citizens coming into the city of Emporia,” Stefan said. “But this is a zoning issue for me and I don’t feel we’ve ever achieved a proper buffer to take care of the neighbors who have been there for years.”

Planners recommended, at the suggestion of City Manager Matt Zimmerman, a six-foot berm with trees either on top of or around the raised dirt. The company had already mentioned such a barrier to partially shield a rail extension near Road M5.

Richard Fowler, whose land on Road 160 sits near the site, had concerns about how the property would drain water and whether road M5 would be upgraded for dust problems. His farmland was seeing a lot more flooding these days, he said — a situation he believed was due to more land being leveled for industry in southeast Emporia.

“I’m at a loss as to why you’re penalizing our area when there’s industrial ground west of town that no one wants to use,” he said, referring to Industrial Park IV on the far west of Emporia. “I’m not totally against this. Some of this ground doesn’t look too pretty the way it is. But it’s not going to be an improvement, I’m sure.”

Howard said the site would comply with all city regulations for storm water. There won’t be a permanent pond on the property, but two areas will act as temporary ponds, holding storm water until it can drain properly.

Janet Haag, a neighbor who has argued against several other industrial re-zonings in the area, said she still didn’t think industries belonged near homes.

“This is a piece of a puzzle that is pretty much complete,” she said. “Once Emporia Enterprises has this, they’ve pretty much got the whole property. We’re just trusting that Hill’s is the good neighbor everyone says it will be.”

Jeanine McKenna, president of the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce, said she was satisfied with the company’s track record.

“They’ve been good corporate citizens in Topeka,” she said. “I think we’d be honored to have them here in Emporia and we look forward to working with them in the future.”

The rezoning will go before the Emporia City Commission at an Aug. 15 meeting. The meeting will start at 7 p.m. in the city commission chambers, 518 Mechanic St.

In other action:

• A pair of actions that would have allowed 612 W. 12th Avenue to be used as fraternity housing were taken off the agenda. Planning commission secretary Kevin Hanlin said the application was withdrawn.

• A site at 2812 W. 12th Ave. will be rezoned for general commercial use, so that Emporia Fitness can move there from its present home at 1024 W. 12th Ave. The new site was previously zoned for light industrial use.