DEMAND that Stephens County Commissioners DENY rezoning of Freeman Creek Poultry Farm

We are concerned citizens of Stephens County who are trying to work with Twin Creek Farms LLC. who want to rezone their property from Agriculture Residential to Agriculture Intensive.

For the record, we are not against farmers or agriculture in Stephens County. We want to make that abundantly clear!  We also want to make it perfectly clear that we are NOT against the Hutto family joining our community and being good neighbors.  We just feel they are being misled and lied to by Fieldale and we have attempted to work with them in good faith in the past, but Fieldale gave them some poor advice and counsel.  We are longtime Stephens County citizens that deserved a chance to voice our concerns about previous issues on this property with the Hutto family.

We want the Hutto family to understand that since they have only lived in Stephens County for such a short time, they are not aware of the 5 year long battle this county had with the Wilbros. company that produced such a horrible situation with stench and environmental issues.  It is sad that still to this day, Stephens County has a reputation outside the community and is known as "Stinkins County".  This is why we are so vigilant and on edge when a potential change or situation arises.  We hope that the Hutto family can do their research and understand where we are coming from.

We want our elected officials to apply the Land Use Ordinance correctly which was adopted after the county's battle with Wilbros in 2014. With regards to this property, we are asking the County Commissioners let it remain Agriculture Residential so that the Hutto family can still have a small farming operation in compliance with the new Land Use Ordinances.  We simply do not want 8 or more broiler houses (large chicken houses) built in a highly residential neighborhood.  This will go beyond the already established residential scope of this particular neighborhood and the agricultural nature of Stephens County.  A lot of things have changed in the 30 years since the original chicken houses operated here.  Many new subdivisions were built with plenty of homes.  This changed the layout of the neighborhood and now it is much more residential than it ever was in the past.

We are concerned about the safety of our local citizens, we are concerned about our children, we are concerned about the cruelty these chickens will be subjected to, but most importantly, we are concerned about the community as a whole. We want certain assurances from Twin Creek Farms and clear plans on how they intend to utilize this property to control odors and meet EPD standards. We want assurances that increased traffic load on the narrow roads won't endanger our children in early morning hours waiting for school buses. We also want to ensure that what is being proposed will "promote the public health, safety, morality or general welfare" of our community. So far, we have not gotten those answers, only that we trust them and just to "take their word that it will be good for the community".

As of now, Stephens County Commissioners have tabled a motion to make a decision regarding the re-zoning of this farm pending the outcome of a committee meeting with local neighbors and the farmers involved in this location to possibly come up with a solution. But we need your help. We are raising money to help defray any legal costs and help keep Stephens County known as "The Beautiful".

We will be very thankful for any assistance you can provide us to help keep this community safe and clean for our residents while still supporting agriculture in Stephens County.

Help spread the word and Thank YOU for your support in our efforts!

Friends of Freeman Creek Road for Proper Zoning and Community Safety

We would appreciate support financially to defer legal costs in our effort to get to the right decision:  https://www.gofundme.com/friends-to-protect-freeman-creek-rd