Zoning agency approves small meat-packing/market at Nedesheim farm amid strong city opposition

Walworth County’s Zoning Agency approved a request from the Lawrence Nedesheim Trust on June 19 to rezone and to issue a conditional-use permit to allow meat-processing and retail sales on a portion of the family’s property in Section 25, Sugar Creek Township.

Attorney Chad Pollard, representing the applicant, framed the proposal as a small meat market and processing facility intended to serve local producers and customers; he said the project is not a large industrial slaughterhouse. "This is not a slaughterhouse," Pollard told the agency, describing the plan as a locally focused meat market with on-site processing. Pollard also said the applicant had obtained a $1,380,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture grant and $25,000 in state funding and that the proposal would create about 20 jobs.

County staff summarized the request as a rezoning of about 3.79 acres from A1 Prime Agricultural Land to A4 Agricultural-Related Manufacturing, Warehousing and Marketing District in order to allow operations including meat packing, processing of animal fats, feed preparation, poultry dressing and retail sales. Staff’s report described the proposed building footprint and operational hours and noted the town’s recommended conditions on stormwater, maintenance…