Clearing the Coop
Co-op #Co-op
Chester County residents, especially those in Montezuma, were upset when they heard Tyson Foods was looking to build a facility in the Montezuma area.Facebook posts were shared, and an abundance of comments were made. The majority of people who participated in the discussion were against Tyson being in the area, with a small few being fine with it.Those who were not in favor of it made a “No Tyson in Chester County” group and started to gather signatures for a petition as well.Gayle Cox of Montezuma explained why she did not want Tyson in Montezuma. She said that she heard from others that have dealt with Tyson, and they said the smell is “horrific” within at least five miles, waterways could be ruined if anything is dumped in them, roadways could be damaged from trucks and there is the possibility of property values decreasing.“I don’t want to see the devastation come to this long-time, quiet, rural farming community,” Cox said.Talk among the community about the potential factory was nonstop. The situation changed once residents heard that Tyson was no longer looking at the property. The Tyson representatives, according to Barry Smith, Chester County Commission Pro Tem and Commissioner of District 5, said that they were no longer interested due to the site being too close to the subdivision.Smith gave further details about how it all played out.He explained that real estate developers had an option on the property in Montezuma and were trying to promote the property to Tyson.Tyson representatives showed an interest in the land and reportedly scheduled, about two weeks ago, to come before the Chester County Planning Committee on Tuesday, June 15.However, when the representatives actually viewed the property on a map, they mentioned it was too close to the subdivisions. Thus, they were no longer interested in the property.Though that site is no longer being looked at by Tyson, Smith said that Tyson, which is in the midst of expanding in West Tennessee, could still end up in Chester County. Whatever future location they may look at, Smith said it will just have to be further away from subdivision housing.
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