JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — People living in a Southside Estates neighborhood are frustrated about plans to build an animal slaughterhouse around the corner from their homes.
The Jacksonville City Council is considering an ordinance that would rezone part of Beach Boulevard, between Desalvo Road and Cortez Road, to allow Apna Bazar to construct a live animal processing facility.
“If we hear grown animals groaning and crying when they are dying, that would be terrible for the neighborhood,” said John Brewer.
John Brewer has been living in the area for the past decade, and says the slaughterhouse in no way fits in with the neighborhood.
“It’s not an industrial area, this is a residential area,” Brewer said. “There is commercial property, but they want to rezone it to an industrial zoning, so I am extremely opposed to that.”
Kim Robinson has been living on Cortez Road for over four decades. Her house is right next door to where the facility would be built. She says if it’s allowed to open and operate there, that would be the last straw.
“If this happens, we’re putting the house up for sale immediately,” said Robinson.
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This isn’t the first time Apna Bazar tried to do this in Jacksonville. Last year, they had attempted to build the slaughterhouse at 7709 Woodley Road in the Northside. The proposal was withdrawn following community backlash.
“We are not here to hurt them [local citizens] or make them complain for anything they think we should not be doing,” said Apna Bazar’s owner, Mohammad Faisel. “So that’s why we’re withdrawing our application and I’m sorry, again I want to apologize for that.”
We reached out to Apan Bazar for a comment about the new proposal. We are still waiting to hear back.
The ordinance is on the Land Use and Zoning committee’s agenda for Tuesday, August 19th at 5 pm.
It will also be discussed during the Planning Commission’s public meeting on Thursday, August 21. It will be held in the Edward Ball Building on North Hogan Street. A protest against the slaughterhouse’s construction is scheduled for before the meeting at 11 am.
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