SOUTH WAYNE - The Wayne township board said it needed more time to research large-scale heifer barns before it would decide if the township should adopt an ordinance to govern those types of facilities.
The board took no action at its monthly meeting Wednesday after it heard from the man who wants to build a large-scale heifer barn and the woman who opposes the idea.
Board Chairman Steve Lee said he wasn't sure if the board would be ready to take action at its October meeting.
At issue is a possible barn that would house between 700 and 999 heifers. The barn would be located in a field on County N, north of South Wayne.
The land is owned by Pat Place.
Neither the township, nor Lafayette County, has ordinances to govern facilities with less than 1,000 cows.
Peggy Miller, who lives near the field where the barn would be built, told the board she was upset because the barn would be close to several homes, including hers. The barn would be between 250 yards and 300 yards from her house.
She told the board she wants Place to build the barn somewhere else.
"What he wants to do is wrong," she told the board. "It's not right to devalue property. It's not right we should have to worry about water pollution. It's not right we should have to worry about air quality."
She provided the board with 11 Web sites that provide environmental and economic studies about large-scale heifer barns.
Miller said she has concerns about the driveway to the barn. She said the barn would increase traffic on a road that has blind corners and can be dangerous.
She asked the board consider an ordinance to govern farms that have between 500 and 999 animals.
Place told the board, and the 24 people who attended the meeting, the barn is a response to ever-changing agricultural needs.
"There's a demand for this type of facility," he said. "You either have to adapt to get out of farming."
He said the barn is in the preliminary stages. He said he didn't talk to anyone about the barn before because he was in the early planning stages. No excavation has been done and he's waiting for bids to find out how much it will cost to excavate the site.
"If I find out it'll cost too much, I won't go through with it," he said.
Place said there is no definite date to begin construction. He said the barn is just something he's considering.
Place will have to talk with the Lafayette County Highway Commissioner when he gets ready to install a driveway. He hasn't done that yet, he said.
Miller plans to talk to the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors Monday to ask them to pass an ordinance that would govern a heifer facility between 500 and 999 cows.
The board took no action at its monthly meeting Wednesday after it heard from the man who wants to build a large-scale heifer barn and the woman who opposes the idea.
Board Chairman Steve Lee said he wasn't sure if the board would be ready to take action at its October meeting.
At issue is a possible barn that would house between 700 and 999 heifers. The barn would be located in a field on County N, north of South Wayne.
The land is owned by Pat Place.
Neither the township, nor Lafayette County, has ordinances to govern facilities with less than 1,000 cows.
Peggy Miller, who lives near the field where the barn would be built, told the board she was upset because the barn would be close to several homes, including hers. The barn would be between 250 yards and 300 yards from her house.
She told the board she wants Place to build the barn somewhere else.
"What he wants to do is wrong," she told the board. "It's not right to devalue property. It's not right we should have to worry about water pollution. It's not right we should have to worry about air quality."
She provided the board with 11 Web sites that provide environmental and economic studies about large-scale heifer barns.
Miller said she has concerns about the driveway to the barn. She said the barn would increase traffic on a road that has blind corners and can be dangerous.
She asked the board consider an ordinance to govern farms that have between 500 and 999 animals.
Place told the board, and the 24 people who attended the meeting, the barn is a response to ever-changing agricultural needs.
"There's a demand for this type of facility," he said. "You either have to adapt to get out of farming."
He said the barn is in the preliminary stages. He said he didn't talk to anyone about the barn before because he was in the early planning stages. No excavation has been done and he's waiting for bids to find out how much it will cost to excavate the site.
"If I find out it'll cost too much, I won't go through with it," he said.
Place said there is no definite date to begin construction. He said the barn is just something he's considering.
Place will have to talk with the Lafayette County Highway Commissioner when he gets ready to install a driveway. He hasn't done that yet, he said.
Miller plans to talk to the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors Monday to ask them to pass an ordinance that would govern a heifer facility between 500 and 999 cows.