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Neighbors and others will have the opportunity Thursday to weigh in on a proposed 175-foot-tall whey-drying tower proposed for the Sorrento Lactalis cheese factory in rural Nampa.
Canyon County planning staff is recommending approval, saying it will provide up to 50 new jobs, allow for cleaner disposal of lactose byproduct and reduce truck traffic at the plant.
But a developer who wants to put in a hotel complex nearby is worried the cheese plant's expansion will compound traffic problems, waft odors into downwind Meridian residential areas and dominate the skyline.
"This is a key gateway entrance to Nampa and the Treasure Valley," said developer Thorpe Orton. "I can't imagine this area being dominated by a 17-story whey tower."
The Canyon County Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing on the cheese company's request for a conditional-use permit at 7 p.m. in the public meeting room at the Canyon County Courthouse, 1115 Albany St., Caldwell.
Lactalis American Group wants to more than double the 75-foot maximum height allowed in a county light-industrial zone, planning a 35,000-square-foot tower at the northeast corner of Franklin and Star roads.
Lactose extracted from raw milk would be dried to a fine powder, eliminating the need to dispose of it as liquid, according to the county staff report.
The staff report says the plant expansion is consistent with the county comprehensive plan and with surrounding agricultural and industrial uses.
But Orton, who proposes a hotel and convention center complex on 65 acres between the Idaho Center and the cheese factory, believes the whey-drying tower is inappropriate for a light-industrial zone and could have a negative effect on property values and future development in the area.
Kristin Rodine: 377-6447
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