Residents in Rio Linda, California, have voiced anger after plans for a large halal slaughterhouse were allowed to advance because of a procedural technicality.
Bahadur Amiri submitted an application to the Sacramento County Planning Commission last year seeking to convert a 20-acre property on Palladay Road in Rio Linda into what he called a “small-scale slaughterhouse.”
The proposed facility drew fierce opposition almost immediately, with nearby residents objecting to an unrestricted “kill floor” being built close to their homes.
Opponents have repeatedly raised concerns about the project’s potential environmental effects. Some residents also said they fear they could hear animals being slaughtered at the site.
Despite the backlash, the Sacramento County Planning Commission approved the halal slaughterhouse project in July. On August 24, commissioners narrowly rejected an appeal filed by members of the Rio Linda–Elverta community, Fox 40 reported.
Commissioners split 2-2 on the appeal. Under Sacramento County code, however, the tie meant the appeal was denied, allowing the project to proceed.
The decision went against a recommendation from the planning advisory council, giving some local residents hope that the dispute may not yet be settled.
Still, the rejected appeal clears the way for Amiri to begin the licensing process without additional public hearings.
Plans for a “small-scale slaughterhouse” on a 20-acre Rio Linda, California, property have moved ahead despite concerns raised by local residents.
The Sacramento County Planning Commission deadlocked on an appeal that could have halted the project, but county rules meant the 2-2 vote resulted in the appeal being denied.
In his application, viewed by the Daily Mail, Amiri argued the slaughterhouse, which he is naming ‘Greenfarm,’ is ‘specifically designed to meet the cultural and religious needs of the Afghan and broader Muslim communities in the area, who currently lack a local space for ritual animal slaughter in accordance with Islamic law.
‘The facility will allow for humane, halal slaughter within a fully-enclosed, fenced covered building, ensuring that all activities remain private and discreet.
‘The facility will also include appropriate waste management and sanitation measures, fully complying with all relevant laws and regulations to ensure environmental safety and animal welfare,’ the application reads.
If approved, the site, which currently houses an abandoned single-family home as well as several barns and animal enclosures, would house livestock and accept customers for up to 30 custom slaughter services each week.
But community members spoke out against the proposal one-by-one at the hearing on August 24.
‘We live about 600 feet from the back of their property and we see it all,’ one woman claimed. ‘My kids play in a seasonal pond that we have in our backyard, and it flows directly from their property. Are they still safe to play there?’
She then went on to claim she would be able to hear the animals being killed at the property.
Michelle Anderson, who said she lives catty-corner to the site, also noted she has a well on her property.
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Applicant Bahadur Amiri initially filed an application with the Sacramento County Planning Commission last year. He spoke out defending his proposal at a meeting on August 24
His plans call for a ‘fully-enclosed, fenced covered building, ensuring that all activities remain private and discreet’
The site currently houses an abandoned single-family home as well as several barns and animal enclosures
‘I’m really concerned about the water and what it will do to my water, and I won’t know until it’s too late,’ she bemoaned.
Anderson also worried about peace of mind in the home she had hoped to retire in.
‘Let’s talk about the smells and the fact that we have a nice breeze out there,’ she said.
One man who spoke at the hearing further said he is a ‘strong believer in personal property rights.
‘I believe you should be able to do whatever you want on your property as long as it’s legal, and that it doesn’t have a substantial negative effect on neighbors in your community – which I believe this project does,’ he argued.
Others also expressed their concerns over traffic increases, reduced property values and animal exploitation.
One woman expressed her concerns that her children will no longer be able to play in their seasonal pond
A man at the meeting argued the project has ‘a substantial negative effect on neighbors’
But the planning board also heard from Amiri, who defended his proposal as he lamented: ‘It’s not easy when you’re just by yourself and the whole community comes against you.’
He noted that he addressed many of the issues residents raised in the past.
‘It’s going to be [a] sealed tank,’ Amiri said. ‘This operation is not going to happen in the middle of the yard, [it] is going to be inside the building and that building will be inspected by the building department.’
In the end, Planning Commissioner Joseph Devlin agreed that the business could promote a more sustainable food system for the region.
‘We are, and have claimed to be, the Farm to Fork capital of the world,’ he noted. ‘However, one of the probably biggest gaps within that Farm to Fork is the actual acquiring and harvesting of meat that is locally sourced.’
The Daily Mail has reached out to the Planning Commission and Amiri for comment.