The Montgomery County Plan Commission has been working on the proposed addition of Confined Feeding Operations to the zoning ordinance.
I have friends who are farmers, and I wish them well. My primary concern is that some actions could affect the freedoms of other property owners in the county.
My concerns are that the shortcomings in the original wording of this CFO amendment mirror the shortcomings of the earlier wind ordinances (such as Ordinance 2009-5 and Ordinance 2018-4). These are concerns affecting the loss of individual liberties, including health and safety, property values and the right to enjoy your entire property because of no setbacks from property lines.
There have been several very credible studies done documenting the negative affects of CFOs on nearby residents, including ill health affects and loss of property values. Proper setbacks can protect these citizens from these negative affects. The setback distances from homeowners should be a minimum of one-half mile (2,640 feet), and should be from property lines, not “structure to structure” as stated in the current proposal. Residents should be able to enjoy their entire property, and if they so choose, plan to build a house for their children or parents on this property.
I am not looking at how these recommendations would affect certain individuals, because my concern is that the rights of all residents should be protected based on the credible studies that have been done. It is my hope that all of the board members have read the studies provided to them, and proceed accordingly.
I encourage concerned citizens to do their own research to learn the truth about all of this, and give their input to the Plan Commission board members, and attend the next meeting of the public hearing at 4 p.m. Dec. 20 at the courthouse.
Bill Milam
Crawfordsville
