Saturday, August 16, 2008

St. Albans victorious over slaughterhouse

A St. Albans community declared victory this week over a plan to open a slaughterhouse on Farmers Blvd. after months of protest and a reprieve from Albany.

The R & B Live Poultry Market, just off Merrick Blvd., was set to move into the neighborhood of mostly one- and two-family homes, setting off a wave of rallies, court actions and lobbying among concerned locals.

As workers prepared the market for opening this summer, Joan Flowers, a local Democratic district leader and a lawyer, got a court order stopping the city from issuing a certificate of occupancy.

Then Gov. Paterson approved a new law last week preventing the state commissioner of agriculture and markets from licensing live animal slaughterhouses within 1,500 feet of homes in the city.

"I was outraged but I didn't know if we would win - but we did win," Assemblyman William Scarborough (D-St. Albans) said Monday at a "victory" gathering in his Merrick Blvd. office.


St. Albans neighborhood blocks slaughterhouse plan

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Congratulations to the community of St. Albans!

You have demonstrated for all the weak sisters what can happen when the people of a neighborhood act together for the common interests.

City officials claimed "their hands were tied". St. Albans replied: "Don't tread on US!"

I'm sincerely happy for you people. Can you package and sell (or donate) your techniques?

Anonymous said...

Congratulation - your victory is a victory for all neighborhood residents. I am especially happy for your residents.

Anonymous said...

Congratulation - your victory is a victory for all neighborhood residents. I am especially happy for your residents.

Anonymous said...

Congratulation - your victory is a victory for all neighborhood residents. I am especially happy for your residents.