Carson Valley Meats announced that it will host a community forum to answer questions from community members regarding the proposed meat processing facility.

The plan was approved at a meeting of the planning committee and was to be submitted to the supervisory board. However, due to an administrative error at the city level regarding the appropriate notice for the meeting, Carson Valley Meats must return to the Planning Commission and start the process again on December 15.

In order to connect with the community ahead of the meeting, Carson Valley Meats plans to host a community forum tomorrow, Wednesday, December 8 at Adams Hub in Carson City, located at 111 Proctor Street in Carson City from 5 to 7 p.m.

Representatives from the Project Engineer, Manhard Consulting, and Carson Valley Meats will be on hand to answer questions from the community in an open house style event with no formal conference program. The Adams Hub can accommodate 80 people at a time and attendees can come and go depending on the capacity of the facility.

According to the Carson City staff report posted on the Commission’s website, the project area has a mixed-use commercial designation (MUC) in the master plan, is general industrial (GI) zoned, and is surrounded by a property which is also GI zoned.

The project meets the requirements of the master plan for new businesses in Carson City, is conditional use under the Carson City municipal code and will provide at least five new jobs in the area, according to Carson Valley Meats.

Opponents of the facility have widely stated that while they are not opposed to a facility itself, they do not want it in the proposed area. However, many of the claims by opponents, such as that there will be unsafe practices involved, river leaks, wild mustang killings, and “sounds like ‘Silence of the Lambs'” have been largely debunked by Carson Valley Meats as well as the Planning Department.

Carson Valley Meats says they hope to clear up any misinformation circulating in the community during this forum.

“We want to offer the community the opportunity to get expert answers to their questions and concerns, in order to dispel some of the misinformation, misperceptions and unfounded fears about our project that are circulating on social media and in the media, ”Karin Sinclair, owner of Carson Valley Meats, said.

The project site is located in an industrial area with vacant industrial properties to the north and east and warehouses to the east and south. The closest homes to the facility are 900 feet away, according to city staff.

The facility will be limited to harvesting a maximum of 60 animals one day per week with animals on site for a maximum of 24 hours in the indoor corral system, which was stipulated by Carson Valley Meats at the meeting of September of the Planning Commission.

During special events, such as 4-H fairs, the facility can process up to a maximum of 120 animals per week for three days each, which will not occur more than three times per year.

The facility will be USDA certified and will need to obtain and retain all local, state, and federal permits and licenses including, but not limited to, a wastewater discharge permit from the NDEP, an operating license from the Department of Nevada Agriculture and USDA permits.

Sinclair said Carson Valley Meats supports the Farm-to-Fork movement by providing a viable local alternative to producers and consumers. The project includes a retail counter similar to the neighborhood butcher’s shop.

As of December 6, audio and minutes from the September Planning Commission meeting were not posted on the Carson City website. The original plan and Carson City staff report that was approved by the Planning Commission in September can be viewed here: https: //carsonvalleymeats.com/carson-city-proposed-processing-facility-g … .

Residents interested in learning about Carson Valley Meats and their proposed project are expected to come to Adams Hub on Wednesday evening to learn more.