Bell & Evans proposes feed mill move, second hatchery for poultry operation

This article was funded by LebTown donors as part of our Civic Impact Reporting Project.

The Bethel Township Planning Commission got a first look at a proposed feed mill and hatchery operation from Bell & Evans officials at a meeting Tuesday, June 16.

The hatchery would be the company’s second in the township. A discussion was led by Mike Bracrella, chief operations officer for Bell & Evans, and engineer Alex Kinzey with Steckbeck Engineering. 

The feed mill project would be relocated from Legionaire Drive about a half-mile north of its current location to 181 Market Drive, which runs parallel to and just north of Interstate 78. This operation, if approved, would sit directly across from its existing Plant 2 operation. 

“More than likely at this point we are considering moving the Cook Plant over (to) that Legionaire Drive, so we’ll probably come back at some point and make that request to swap that site,” said Bracrella.

The company’s alternative plans for the current Cook Plant site are unclear. The Cook Plant had been planned to be built along Fredericksburg Road and Route 22, directly across from the company’s Transportation Center, which is under construction.

Company officials were asked why they were moving the proposed feed mill from its approved location. Bracrella cited various problems with site development, including what he called a “complicated stormwater situation on Legionaire Drive,” as well as benefits of having it at the new location on a 92-acre farm owned by Tim Showers. 

A commission member, Showers did not make any comments during discussion and told LebTown last week that he would recuse himself from the decision-making process since he has a conflict of interest. 

“This site serves as well to be able to bore under 78 and be able to get our utilities over there. There’s a pretty nice size natural gas line there and it serves as well for utility perspective,” Bracrella said. “And it’s close enough in proximity that we can feed this from all of our systems.”

Details in a document provided to LebTown prior to the meeting gives more insight into the project.

“The feed mill and the hatchery, as proposed, would utilize approximately 40% of the overall acreage, using only property on the East side of the creek. The two current residential houses will remain intact on the property. As with the more recent Bell & Evans building projects, the feed mill and hatchery will be designed and built using the most up-to-date, state-of-the-world technology and materials meant for building longevity. Both facilities will also be organic certified.”

Other document details include: 

FEED MILL PROPOSED DETAILS

• Utilize approximately 22 acres – 12 acres for buildings plus 10 acres for trailer and stormwater basins.
• Height for grain tower will not exceed 175 feet, with all other structures lower in height.
• Noise and dust control system – European design with heavy incorporation of dust collection system and noise minimization technology.
• All chutes and traditional mill structures will be contained within an exterior structure.
• Should the project be approved at this location, Bell & Evans will suspend pursuit of permitting for the feed mill use for the parcel located at the intersection of Route 22 and Legionnaire Drive.

HATCHERY PROPOSED DETAILS

• Utilize approximately 12 acres.
• Will mirror the size and scope of the existing Bell & Evans Hatchery on the south side of Route 22 East.
• To be constructed specifically to support production at the future Plant 4 harvest location.
• Will be visible from Interstate 78.

LebTown asked if the feed mill at the new location would be the same approved at its current site on Legionaire Drive.

“The storage silos that were shown here are slightly different from what we had shown on that drawing, but it’s very close. This allows for some further expansions that the Legionaire Drive didn’t allow for,” Bracrella said.

Kinzey noted Blue Mountain and Pine Grove roads, which connect to Market Drive to the east and west, would be utilized for traffic traveling to and from this location. Bracrella said a traffic study would be conducted.

“As we move through the process and targeting – as long as we get approval to be working next spring, early summer – we are working on the traffic impact study to determine exactly how this is going to impact Market Drive,” Bracrella said, who noted there would be about 100 trucks per day traveling to and from these two operations. 

Kinzey stated the property is zoned rural residential and, after other discussion about the project, Bracrella answered a question about the Market Drive property so that the company is in compliance with zoning regulations. 

“We’re expecting just to rezone to agriculture. Both of these follow the agricultural definitions,” Bracrella said.

Company officials were asked if they were planning to submit a land development plan prior to getting the land rezoned. 

“I guess it’s similar to what we did with the cold storage (facility). They kind of went at the same time,” Bracrella said. Kinzey said the plan is to “submit everything at once.”

“It’s almost that we’re gambling, we understand that,” said Kinzey. “If we’re denied, yeah, we’d be wasting all that time in one year in land development, but we’d like to get the timeline moving.”

Bracrella provided further insight into presenting the entire plan simultaneously. 

“We felt like that if we just went for the zoning, sometimes we don’t have all the questions answered. We felt like if we did the full land development, there’d be no question as to what we were gonna do, and that was our reasoning for taking that position,” Bracrella said. 

Matthew Mack, township engineer, confirmed with company officials that they plan to request rezoning, adding that the map rezoning amendment request would go directly to the township supervisors and not the planning commission.

Another query asked why they would seek rezoning of Market Drive when they already had approvals to build at Legionaire Drive. 

“Fair question. The land that we were working with on Legionaire Drive is just very, very tight for that feed mill. And it was just not going to support us for a long haul,” Bracrella said. “And I just feel like this really allows us to build a feed mill of the size we need to build.” 

Kinzey added that the new site provides substantial room and maneuvering areas for vehicles and space to construct a large stormwater basin that would allow for future expansion.

Commission chairman Dale Snader asked the public if they had any comment, with Wanda Day voicing her opposition to it. 

“I realize this is Bell & Evans’ community. I also realize that some of the areas you’re taking is residential and people that have lived here for a long time. By putting this plan in action really impacts the community, traffic, schools, everything. You’re talking about what you desire, but there’s a lot of unanswered questions,” Day said. 

Kinzey responded that part of the reason the company presented a tentative plan at this meeting was to start a conversation with community members. Day replied she “would not be a fan” of it.

At the end of the meeting, the topic of rezoning Market Drive was addressed again but Bell & Evans officials were not there to comment since they departed mid-session.

Mack noted that the current hatchery is in a commercial zone, adding the company received zoning relief.

Additionally, he also said the 241 Blue Mountain Road property, which is where cold storage and packing facilities are planned, was also requested for rezoning but the township did not rezone that parcel, either. (At that time, as reported by LebTown, there were concerns that the company might sell the undeveloped land to another commercial entity.) 

Instead, as Mack noted, 241 Blue Mountain Road also received zoning relief via a variance. 

In a related matter, the board put on hold but did not formally table four waiver requests concerning the preliminary/final land development plan for the Bell & Evans’ feed mill project at Legionaire Drive. 

Other commission business

In other business, the commission unanimously voted to send to township supervisors for consideration recommendations to:

• Give a waiver request for the land development plan for the Zimmerman Shade Lane Farms at 1020 Houtztown Road upon receipt of an erosion and soil sediment control plan. Owners plan to replace chicken houses within an existing footprint and build a manure storage facility. 
• Receive a sketch plan for the physical move of Sharon Mennonite Church, which is in the 500 block of Union Road, Lebanon, from one side of the street to the other.
• Provide a time extension request to Oct. 20 for the Christ Lantz subdivision/stormwater management plan. In a related matter, it was recommended to send the plan to supervisors for approval. The time extension was granted even though it’s believed it won’t be needed.  
• Approve the May 19 meeting minutes.

Next meeting

The next meeting of the Bethel Township Planning Commission is Tuesday, July 21, at 7 p.m. at the municipal building, 3015 S. Pine Grove St., Fredericksburg.