BROWNSTOWN — There were two applications by the same petitioner on the agenda at Tuesday evening’s Jackson County Board of Zoning Appeals meeting.

Wes Spray, who works in environmental affairs at Rose Acre Farms LLC, spoke before the board on those applications by Rose Acres for the same project— a special exception and two variances.

The first application was a special exception to add an additional 80-by-505-foot pullet house to an existing confined feeding operation at 6162 N. County Road 225 E, Seymour.

Three 50-by-500-foot pullet houses already exist on the 38.18-acre site.

The second application was a petition for two variances. The first involves the required rear setback of 200 feet to 106 feet to align it with the existing pullet houses.

The second variance would allow the egg producer to forgo the required screening standards of 6-feet high and 3-feet wide for a commercial facility for raising and breeding non-farm fowl and animals.

According to Rose Acre, these standards increase the risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza by wild birds to the flock, also, the trees and shrubs would provide nesting/roosting areas for wild birds close to the pullet houses.

Motions were passed for each application separately.

Spray was advised the board would have to vote unanimously in favor of both applications because of the absence of two board members; however this information was not made privy to Spray until after the board made a motion to approve the first application, which passed unanimously.

“You have to have three affirmative votes in order for the motion to pass,” county attorney Susan Bevers said.

Chairwoman Sherry Bridges asked Spray if he was comfortable with the board voting on the second application and he said he was.

A motion to approve the second application also passed unanimously.

Board members then shared personal thoughts on the applications.

Bridges said it it is “good to see growth.”

“I think it fits the criteria for this usage [because] there’s already three houses there,” board member Kyle Broshears said. “As far as the variances go, I think everything in there makes perfect sense.”

Board member Don Cummings said the information Rose Acres presented was thorough and detailed.

“As always, that I’m aware of, Rose Acres always has their ducks — or chickens — in a row,” Cummings said. “I thought the information presented here was thorough and detailed, and I just can’t find a problem with what they’re trying to do.”