Piggish behavior all around, indeed:
Little Pig One, a neighborhood association, built pretty loft condos and fostered urban development in a place called Butchertown, where unpleasant smells and industrial traffic from the local slaughterhouse shouldn’t have come as a surprise.
Little Pig Two, Food and Commercial Workers Local 227, over the past 10 years watched companies that were once its employer’s competition close up shop. It believes that because JBS Swift was in Butchertown before the neighborhood went residential, the company’s rights supercede those of all others — especially those of the neighborhood association.
And that brings us to JBS Swift, or Little Pig Three, the slaughterhouse company itself. Not only has Swift thumbed its snout at the law in a couple of instances, in order to shift blame it has purposely inflamed tensions between Pig One and Pig Two.
-SNIP-
This is where city leadership should have stepped in. When Swift decided it was easier to ask for forgiveness than permission and started expanding without the necessary permits, city officials should have levied harsh consequences and stopped construction immediately. Instead, BOZA fined the company $500 and gave it permission to continue building. BOZA, of soccer club Javanon fame, is infamous for letting serious infractions slide if it approves of the perpetrator.
No wonder homeowners were furious. As for Swift, like it or not, times have changed. The company has residential neighbors now, and they have a right to be consulted about an industrial expansion.
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4 responses so far ↓
1 AC360 // Nov 18, 2009 at 4:43 pm
Great summary! Very level headed and what I’ve come to expect from Francene.
For another great example, look at the West Loop area of Chicago – still are meat wholesalers there but was a huge butcher and slaughter house area (note that these two things are not the same due to differences in scale). Now it’s a burgeoning area of “affordable” condos in a convenient area of Chicago.
2 chief // Nov 18, 2009 at 11:38 pm
Amazing how the city selectively decides how they apply enforcement!….just one more reason why a good political House Cleaning is necessary!
3 Btowner // Nov 19, 2009 at 10:01 am
Just to clear the air- (haha!) BOZA did not fine JBS $500, it was Codes and Regs who did. Boza does not have the ability to “fine” people.
4 Germantown Rez // Nov 19, 2009 at 11:36 pm
It is NOT a recent development that Swift now has “residential neighbors.” They, and the former Fischer’s plant, have ALWAYS had residential neighbors – but not as “educated” or as upscale as the johnny-come-latelies. This is a case of gentrification run amok, rejecting the history of an area that once provided affordable, convenient housing for meat-industry families. JBS should not be allowed to operate outside the law, including the possible employment of illegals, anymore than Churchill Downs or the Airport should be allowed to taut the law or over-run THEIR neighbors – oh, nevermind…
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