The current meat processing lab at NC State is vintage 1960's. Universityleaders say it's outdated and they want to build a new one. The proposedstate-of-the-art building would include a slaughterhouse, meat and poultryprocessing facility, and a research lab.
The new building would be situated behind State's veterinary school. University leaders say it would be a small operation running only two daysa week at the most. About processing 1,000 large animals and 4,000chickens and turkeys would be processed there each year.
Nearby neighbors say they're skeptical.
"I don't think they will take a modern facility like this and do a minoramount of work in it," said Bill Waters, a concerned neighbor.
The Meredith Woods subdivision is about a mile and a half from the proposed processing lab. People who live here express many concerns.
"The smell that might come from the activity going on, the sewage if it'sgoing to be a problem, and certainly the traffic congestion," said JaynePomer, neighbor.
"I guess on any given day that we process there could be up to three trucks coming in and out," said Duane Larick, food science professor."It's really been carefully designed to not have a negative impact."
As for concerns about odor and waste, Larick says the holding areas forlive animals and carcasses will be indoors. Any waste will flow right intothe city's system.
The school can't build on its own. The city's planning commission is meeting next week to take up the proposal, and decide whether or not to approve the project, but it is not required to hold a public hearing on it.
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