Planning commission approves Park Ranch meat-processing facility at Buckeye Road with conditions

Douglas County Planning Commission on July 13, 2021, approved a special use permit (DP21-0078) to allow a 9,320-square-foot USDA‑inspected meat-harvesting and processing facility inside an existing 40,391-square-foot building at 1300 Buckeye Road in Minden. The vote was 7–0. The approval includes standard conditions and a condition addressing wastewater and water service: the applicant must connect to public sewer and water or secure a variance or a formal MGSD refusal of annexation/connection before obtaining building permits.

The applicant, Park Ranch Holdings LLC (David Park), proposed an enclosed, USDA‑inspected harvest operation to process cattle, hogs, sheep/lamb and big-game animals. Applicant representatives said the facility would be inspected by USDA and used by local ranchers, FFA/4‑H members and hunters; it would reduce travel time for livestock destined for slaughter and keep much of the processing work inside an existing structure.

Staff presentation and requirements: Lorenzo Masino (planning) reviewed zoning (A‑19), the parcel’s location within the Buckeye Farm specific plan area and the special-use limits under Douglas County Code section 20.660.010: the ordinance allows small-scale harvest operations but sets operating and scale limits (the staff memo summarized thresholds including a cap in the code of 200 poultry/rabbits per day or 60 larger animals per week and restrictions on retail sales). Masino…