Point Reyes Light - December 12, 2002

Straus organic dairy gets planners' approval

By Chez Shadman

Less than two weeks after the death of matriarch Ellen Straus, son Albert received unanimous approval from county planning commissioners to build a new 28,000 square-foot creamery on the Straus Dairy farm.

More importantly, the commissioners decided Tuesday that the facility could be built without an environmental impact report. The new building would replace the creamery currently located 10 miles from the dairy on Highway 1, just outside Marshall. 

New facility vital

"Having on-farm processing is vital to the continuation of my farm in Marin County," said Albert Straus. "I want to keep the plant in the community, but if the new facility is not approved I may have to move it, and possibly the entire farm to Sonoma County."

The new facility will be located 700 feet east of Highway 1 on Clark Road. Two dry-storage buildings, an administration building, and a 14,300-square-foot processing plant will be built.

All told, Christine Gimmler, county planner for the Straus project, said the new structures will take up less than 5 percent of the property.

"The structure is sited to minimize visual impact from [Highway] 1," said architect Robert Hayes. "The building will be green so as to blend in with the surrounding vegetation." 

Concern for children

Neighboring ranchers expressed concern for the safety of children playing near a large, working dairy. To ensure the safety of the children, the Straus expansion will include plans to build a recreational facility for neighboring children including playgrounds and basketball courts.

Though the county was genial towards the expansion, some ranchers who operate adjacent to the Straus property were not as pleased.

"If the Straus farm can build this huge creamery, it will open up the entire area to a lot of other potential building sites," said neighbor Merv Zimmerman. "You have to realize this is a huge facility."

Other landowners living near the ranch were worried about increased traffic.

"[The constant round trip of large] vehicles may not seem like a lot on the edge of Highway 101, but it is a large amount on Highway 1," said Marshall resident Ellen Edwards. "Albert’s [new facility] should be near an established transportation corridor, which is Highway 101."

Other ranchers were in full support of the Straus expansion, calling it key to dairy ranch survival in West Marin.

"Marin has gone from 200-plus dairies over the past decades to less than 30 today," stated Mike Gale, a Chileno Valley rancher. "The county needs to support these remaining dairies."

Freshness of products

Planning commissioners agreed with Gale and assuaged the negative feelings of other ranchers.

"It seems as though we want all the benefits of an on-site creamery without having to pay a price," said commissioner Hank Barner. "You don’t get freshness if you get products from hundreds to thousands of miles away. People want the benefits of freshness without having freshness nearby."

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