Town Board Ignores Lawsuit, Votes Against Dairy Interest

A Wood County town board last night ignored a lawsuit filed against it by the developers of a proposed dairy farm, and passed a zoning ordinance that would in effect halt the project.

The Town of Saratoga board members are being sued by Golden Sands Dairy over a building moratorium that is delaying a proposed 7,700-acre farm that would house 3,500 milking cows. Tuesday night, the town board members, in a unanimous vote, went even further and passed an interim zoning ordinance that would temporarily block the development.

Jacquie Wille, co-owner of Golden Sands Dairy, says she is disappointed. Wille.”It seems that this ordinance is specifically targeted at hindering our dairy, but it’s also clear that its broad sweep is an attempt to halt all commercial or agricultural development in the town, and therefore it could have a negative impact on anyone wishing to develop their property in Saratoga.”

The mega-dairy is opposed by nearby residents who say the farm will hurt their property values. According to Spokesperson Nancy Koch, there are more than 400 opponents in her group. She says, “The right to private property has never included the right to use property in a way that devalues the properties of one’s neighbors or diminishes the overall quality of life in the community.”

Koch also says that they worry about pollution and the effect of high capacity wells on the water table. “We fear the water quantity, the water quality changes. We are concerned about the pesticides, the pathogens, both manure waste and animal carcass, contains pathogens.”

None of the Town of Saratoga board members would comment on the record or return our phone calls in time for this story.The DNR is holding two public hearings on the project Thursday afternoon and evening at the Saratoga Town Hall in Wood County.