Neighbors oppose proposed 'mega' chicken house on Big Road, citing traffic and pollution risks

Neighbors of a proposed poultry operation on Big Road urged the Accomack County Board to reject or more carefully vet a large, industrial‑scale chicken house application. Shannon Satterwhite told the board "It's a mega chicken house" and warned the project will bring repeated heavy tractor‑trailer deliveries that the couple estimates at "50 to 60,000 pounds per truck" and "80 trucks every 10 weeks." They and other neighbors provided photos showing current truck damage on the narrow road and said emergency vehicles and school buses could be blocked.

April Barnes, who lives adjacent to the proposed site, said the operation was told to her as planned to "house up to 400,000 chickens" and raised air‑quality concerns tied to broiler operations and ammonia. A supervisor reported that VDOT has weighed in on the project and is requiring a traffic study for the property — a new requirement the speaker said was not previously part of the county's review for poultry permits. The board voted to ask staff to study whether the county should require traffic studies for future poultry operations on secondary roads or more than a mile from main roads and to follow up with commenters.

The discussion followed multiple public comments and a supervisor's motion; no final zoning decision on the application was made that night. Residents asked the board to consider stricter transportation impact rules before allowing very large poultry operations on secondary roads.