Judge rules against Nash chicken plant opponents

wtvd

By ABC11

Thursday, June 2, 2011

ROCKY MOUNT Nash County Commissioner Robbie Davis, whose been pushing the project since the beginning, tells ABC11 that the City of Wilson pulled out of the lawsuit three weeks ago and a judge ruled with the county on Tuesday.

The Rocky Mount Telegram reports that Judge Russell Duke Jr. found no evidence that Nash County violated normal zoning practices in approving the site for Sanderson Farms.

Nearby residents have said the 150-acre tract in southern Nash County should not have been rezoned for industrial use specifically to accommodate the plant.

The residents' lawyer Jim Rogerson said the county should have considered other potential uses for the land before offering it as an incentive to Sanderson Farms.

Davis says he is hoping Sanderson Farms will come out soon and officially say they're coming to Nash County, but for now the project is still on hold due to commodity prices.

It is not yet known if the residents will appeal the judge's ruling.