BACKGROUND

WE ARE ASKING THE TOWN OF TRENTON NOT TO REZONE ROB N CIN FARMS

NO CAFOS IN THE TOWN OF TRENTON

BACKGROUND:  

THE FIGHT OVER A REZONE REACHES A CRITICAL POINT!

This summer the Town of Trenton added a new category called AE Agricultural Enterprise.  Agricultural Enterprise which allows farms to increase in size to a CAFO.  A CAFO is a Concentrated Agricultural Feeding Operation that is referred to as a Factory Farm.   After the town changed the zoning, a local farm, Rob-n-Cin filed to rezone there farm from EA zoning to the new AE zoning allowing them to become the first CAFO in the Town of Trenton. The re-zoning requested would allow Rob-n-Cin Farms to expand its existing livestock facility from 750 cows to 1800 cows, a 240% increase in the number of cows and the farm’s operation  Our organization formed to inform all residents living in the Town of Trenton and other counties how this rezoning can affect and change our community forever!  

To get the history on this rezone please go to the Town of Trenton website at www.townoftrentonwi.gov

May 12, 2024 Update:

After months of the Town trying to learn more about zoning and CAFO’s they have decided to look at our Agricultural zoning and come up with new ordinances. We must be patient as the Town goes through the process but feel free to reach out to them with any comments!

We still do not know what zoning the Roden farm expansion fits under but are waiting to hear the next move from a Roden and the Town.

In the meantime, the Friends of Trenton are working with the Town and turning our focus to the DNR application. Please keep coming to our site for information. There will be a DNR hearing in the next few months that we hope residents will attend.

Thank you for your support!

FACTS:

The Town Board has been saying that according to the law they have to approve the rezone.

According to our Attorney, Ronald Stadler, has written that the following applies:
     

Local Re-zoning Petition Is Not Governed By the State Laws And Administrative Rules Concerning CAFOs.

  •  The Town Must Follow Its Own Zoning Ordinance And Wisconsin Statues When Reviewing This Rezoning Petition.  
    The Town has a specific ordinance that governs a rezoning request.  Section 380-120 provides:  
    Whenever the public necessity, convenience, general welfare or good zoning practice requires, the Town Board may, by ordinance, change the district boundaries established by this chapter and the Zoning Map incorporated herein or amend, change or supplement the text of the regulations established by this chapter or amendments thereto. Such change or amendment shall be subject to the review and recommendation of the Plan Commission.

  • This procedure specifically requires that any rezoning request be supported by public necessity, the general welfare, or good zoning practices.  When a property owner request that the Town remove a property from the EA zoning district, like Rob-n-Cin Farms has done, Ordinance Section 380-120(2) also requires additional fact findings with respect to:

  • (a) Adequate public facilities to accommodate development either exist or will be provided within a reasonable time; 

  • (b) Provision of public facilities to accommodate development will not place an unreasonable burden on the ability of local units of government to provide them; and

  • (c)      The land proposed for rezoning is suitable for development, and development will not result in undue water and air pollution, cause unreasonable soil erosion or have an unreasonable adverse effect on rare or irreplaceable natural resources.

SO WHY ARE WE AGAINST THE RE-ZONE?

HERE ARE A FEW REASONS:  

  • Within a mile of the rezone is Cedarburg Bog.  At 2200 acres, the Cedarburg Bog is one of the largest and most diverse wetlands in the State of Wisconsin.  Since CAFOS pose a serious threat to our environment including ground and surface water contamination, air pollutants, including ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and methane gases the bog is at serious risk for being contaminated forever by allowing this farm to increase in size near such a valued environmental area.  DO WE WANT TO RISK DESTROYING SUCH A SACRED wetland for years to come? 

  • CAFOs decrease property values 10 to 25% within 3 miles of the CAFO. That means a minimum of $10M in lost equity to Town residents.

  • Communities throughout the state and country have had problems with CAFOs polluting wells from spraying manure on fields which contains antibiotics, hormones, nitrates and other chemicals and additional runoff have caused contamination to wells. With the amount of water CAFOs used per year, around 16 million gallons a year per 1000 cows, wells near CAFOs can dry up! This happened to a community in Sheboygan county and in our own town in 2011 wells were contaminated near a large farm.

  • Living near the CAFO you will have increase in noise from the parlor fans and machinery, increase flies in your kitchen, smells outside that make it so you cannot enjoy the outdoors, with such a large farm you get offensive odors, noise pollution, heavy truck traffic, and a myriad of other industrial consequences!

  • CAFO trucks are dirty and beat up roads. The residents are stuck with those costs.

  • Cafos need around 1-1.5 acres per cow to feed and spread manure. If the farm is allowed to get the rezone where does the farm get the land he needs to run a CAFO? From the small farmer! Say Goodbye to the Small Farmer!

LETS STOP THIS REZONE TOGETHER!

1.  JOIN OUR OUR GROUP BELOW AND FACEBOOK GROUP UNDER -FRIENDS OF TRENTON  

THIS IS HOW WE WILL KEEP YOU UPDATED

 2.  SIGN THE PROTEST PETITION:  WE ARE ASKING TOWN OF TRENTON RESIDENTS TO REACH OUT TO US AND WE WILL COME GET YOUR SIGNATURE FOR THE PROTEST PETITION.  WE WANT THIS ALL TO BE LEGAL ACCORDING TO STATE STATUE AND ALL SIGNATURES MUST BE SIGNED IN PERSON.  PLEASE SIGN UP ON OUR SITE AT THE LINK BELOW AT PETITION AND WE WILL GET IN CONTACT WITH YOU TO SIGN.  

3.  CALL AND EMAIL OUR TOWN SUPERVISORS ASKING THEM NOT TO REZONE

Lets fill the Town Board and Planning Commissioners email boxes or drop off letters!  It canbe short and to the point!  Give them your reason why you do not want this RE-Zone!  This is so important to get our voices heard!  

          Barb Davies:  (262) 675-6009 x302, supervisor.davies@townoftrenton.wi.gov 

          Ed Doerr: (262) 675-6009 x301 supervisor.doerr@townoftrenton.wi.gov 

          Mike Lipscomb:  (262) 675-6009 x300, chairman@townoftrenton.wi.gov 

          Cindy Kormo:  (262) 675-6009, townadmin@townoftrenton.wi.gov- representative for the Planning Commissioners

     

4.  PLACE SIGN IN YOUR YARD

5.  TELL YOUR NEIGHBOR ABOUT THE FACTS AND HOW CAFOS DESTROY COMMUNITIES AND THE SMALL FARMER!

6.  CALL AND MAIL LETTERS TO THE ROB-CIN FARM ASKING THEM NOT TO DESTROY OUR COMMUNITY!    

          5545 County Rd Y, West Bend, WI, United States, Wisconsin(262) 675-6709

7. Please attend meetings and visit https://townoftrenton.wi.gov/

8.  DONATE.  We have hired an attorney to represent the residents opposing the rezone!  We need help paying for attorney services!  Attorney Stadler went to the last meeting and spoke on the residents behalf.    Attorney Stadler is sending the Town a letter and advising us how to fight this rezone!  We need help with paying for signs and flyers.  Please donate just a few dollars to help our community!  Thank you!

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