Commission delays vote on chicken farm after testimony

On Wednesday, the Lancaster County Planning Commission heard people testify on a proposed chicken farming operation for Costco.

It would include four barns that would house more than 190,000 chickens in the southwest part of the county, on West Wittstruck Road.

Around 50 people showed up to give their input, including Randy Essink , who would run the operation.

"We’re just a normal, blue–collar family wanting to raise our family from home," Essink says.  "And we’re not some big company coming in to change our neighbors lives and disturb them."

He says it would allow him to farm full–time.

But most who testified were would–be neighbors to the farm who expressed concern over the smell and the environmental impact.

"The wind is going to blow," Elayne Woods says.  "I have a son with a heart condition and respiratory issues.  Like no matter what they say, I don’t know that they can guarantee that this isn’t going to affect my son’s health."

Others say chicken operations like these treat the animals inhumanely.

"It is all about Costco’s bottom line and that’s it," Donna Rollers says.  "So that people that don’t know where their food comes from can buy a four–dollar–and–some–cent chicken.  And this is not okay."

But not all who live near the proposed site are convinced it would do harm.

"The research I did and the people that I talked to that are in business assured me that it was going to be a safe operation," Lynn Steuer says.  "And the odors and the pollution and stuff and some of the claims that people made just weren’t accurate."

The Planning Commission’s 4-3 vote to approve the operation fell short of the five needed to pass.  The  commission will have to vote on it again on Aug. 1.  It may not be the final say on the proposal, because that decision can be appealed to the Lancaster County Board, who would make the final decision.