You CAN fight city hall.
A zoning variance request to operate a meat market that would also “harvest” livestock on a micro scale was denied Wednesday night by a 4-to-3 vote of the Springfield Planning and Zoning Commission.
Tony Magro says he has met with neighbors of the long-vacant Dane’s Building on Stevenson Drive to allay their fears they we would be living near a large scale slaughterhouse.
“Nobody will hear anything, see anything; from the delivery of the livestock to the time it goes out the front door,” Magro told commission members.
Magro said he would only slaughter animals one day and week and not be bringing in more than 35 heads of cattle and hogs on Mondays. He said he also wanted to put in a butcher shop and produce market featuring local producers as well as hire 20 to 25 employees at far above the minumum wage.
That wasn’t enough to convince the commission and more than two dozen residents attended the meeting with some fearing declining property values. Magro operates a similar site in Auburn.
The Springfield City Council can still override the recommendation of the commission.