Fulton County commissioners certify zone‑map amendment for proposed MPS egg farm, 3-0

FULTON COUNTY — Fulton County commissioners on Feb. 23 certified a planning-commission recommendation to amend the county zoning map, a procedural step that advances a proposed MPS egg farm to the Board of Zoning Appeals and additional technical review.

The board voted to certify the zone‑map amendment recommended by the Fulton County Planning Commission (docket PC 260029) by a 3-0 vote after a first reading of the resolution. The parcel described in the recommendation is listed as 4337 North 500 East, Rochester (SW 24-31-3), about 160 acres, with the planning commission reporting a 7-0 favorable vote on Feb. 23, 2026.

The certification does not approve construction or operation of the proposed facility; Heather (planning staff) told the meeting that certification sends the zoning change forward but that the project still must proceed to the BZA, obtain drainage and technical reviews, and secure necessary permits before any work may begin. She said that if the BZA denies subsequent approvals, the property would revert to agricultural zoning.

Public commenters raised safety, environmental and infrastructure concerns. Myron Coegan said the proposed layout would put two buildings in a flood-prone area and described drainage that funnels water into the site, adding that narrow county roads (about 16–20 feet wide) could be damaged by heavy truck traffic and urged financial assurances for road repairs and vegetative screening. "They're looking at putting two of these buildings in a floodplain," Coegan said.

Stephanie Arden urged the board to consider air-quality risks and cited figures she said represent potential ammonia release and moisture from litter. She asked whether the operation would use vertical exhaust stacks or wall fans and whether continuous ammonia monitoring would be installed and publicly available. "Fresh manure is approximately 70% moisture...that's 225 tons of ammonia per year," Arden said.

An MPS representative responded that the company uses wall fans rather than vertical stacks, that one recent air-quality issue related to emergency generators and driveway dust had been addressed by obtaining the necessary permit, and that the proposed farm "would be permitted, entirely, right away." The representative also denied allegations about hiring undocumented workers: "Everybody we hire is documented. We follow every rule that we need to follow," the representative said, adding that the company is family‑owned and invited residents to visit existing farms.

A member of the public asked whether similar projects have affected property values; the MPS representative cited a three‑county Indiana study they said shows property-value impacts are not uniform and can sometimes increase in rural areas because of local economic activity.

After public comment and recognition of the planning commission's favorable recommendation, a commissioner moved to approve certification of the zone‑map amendment; the motion was seconded and approved, with the chair announcing, "Carries 3 0." The certification advances the rezoning request but does not grant building permits, conditional-use approvals or drainage permits; those remain subject to BZA action, technical review committees and permitting authorities.

Next steps: the proposal will appear before the Board of Zoning Appeals and undergo additional technical and permitting reviews. The outcome of those hearings will determine whether the project can proceed.