Urgent Public Input Needed Feb. 24 re: Chancey Bay Ranch

Slaughterhouse proposed in Martin County at Chancey Bay Ranch

• ~ 2,000-acre ranch is ~ half the size of the City of Stuart
• 26-acres (~ 25 football fields), could be one of the largest east of the Mississippi River
• ~ 6.7 Million gallons of water/year withdrawn from Surficial Aquifer
• At least 1,000 animals to be ‘processed’ annually
• Site within Lake Okeechobee Watershed, currently designated as “Impaired”
• No water quality monitoring presently required
• Current opinion from the Florida Dept. of Agriculture & Consumer Services is that Martin County is pre-empted from reviewing for compliance with Comprehensive Plan, Land Development Regulations, including traffic, safety, building permits, nuisances etc.
• No public hearing required
• Opportunities for public review & comment well-concealed

Thankfully, Martin County Commissioners have agreed to discuss the topic at their County Commission Meeting on February 24, 2026. (No preset time.)

The Guardians believe the project should be reviewed as an Industrial enterprise, not one that is exempt from public comment pursuant to the Florida Right-to-Farm Act.

The Guardians have asked the Commission to consider retaining legal counsel with experience in the Right-to-Farm Act to enable the County to review various aspects of the project (e.g., impacts on water quality, traffic, noise, Best Management Practices, etc.) on our community.

For more information, see https://theguardiansofmartincounty.com/chancey-bay-ranch/

Public Comment allowed near beginning of Commission mtg, at 9:05 AM on Feb. 24, 2026. Meeting Location:
Martin County Administrative Center
2401 SE Monterey Rd., Stuart 34996

Let your Commissioners know if you believe the project should be exempt from County Reviews:

evargas@martin.fl.us, shetherington@martin.fl.us, bcapps@martin.fl.us, sheard@martin.fl.us , eciampi@martin.fl.us, ddonalds@martin.fl.us