Photo by RR Best
The Moultrie County Board held its monthly meeting last Thursday in what became a packed courtroom anxious to speak their thoughts about allowing zoos to set up shop in the county. The board eventually voted and approved by a count of 8-1 an amendment that would allow just that.

Ordinance amended Thursday to allow for wildlife parks

April 15, 2015

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

Moving their monthly meeting to a third floor courtroom Thursday to allow for more members of the public to attend, the Moultrie County Board approved by a vote of 8-1 to amend the zoning ordinance to allow for zoos and wildlife parks in the county.
The board’s decision followed more than 45 minutes of public comment, 30 of which were from Urbana attorney Kent Follmer, who is representing 17 landowners opposed to, not only the zoning amendment, but also a specific wildlife project that has been proposed in the county, but that wasn’t up for consideration.
Known as the Aikman Wildlife Adventure, the park would initially span 45 acres and include both a drive-through area where patrons could feed animals and a walk-through that would be similar to a zoo but with much larger habitats. There would also be a 7,000 squared foot walk-through aviary featuring different species of birds that patrons could feed. The park would be located one mile west of the Great Pumpkin Patch southwest of Arthur.
Follmer’s presentation to the board Thursday included objections from the Moultrie County Farm Bureau and local veterinarian Dr. DeWayne Richter.
The Bureau, in a letter to the county board, expressed its stance, saying, “The Moultrie County Farm Bureau opposes production farmland taken out of production for non-agricultural use.”
This was a point that has been and continues to be echoed by Follmer when arguing the intent of the agricultural zoning ordinance and citing its preamble which in part outlines its goal as to “promote and protect the public health, safety and general welfare by separating incompatible nonagricultural uses from potentially incompatible agricultural uses…”     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.