Market OK’d for slots quicker than chicken-killing

Thursday, July 17, 2003 | 9:36 a.m.

The market that paved the way for legalized chicken slaughtering in commercial businesses in Las Vegas has won approval for slot machines.

The Las Vegas City Council on Wednesday approved 15 slots for the Liborio Market, 930 N. Lamb Blvd.

There was no public comment taken -- nor did anyone express an interest to speak -- on the measure involving the market that earlier this year created a swell of controversy over its proposed chicken-slaughtering plan. As a result, the City Council at its July 2 meeting unanimously passed an ordinance that allows the processing of poultry in commercially zoned areas adjacent to residential neighborhoods.

Initially, the Liborio market sought to amend the general plan to rezone the area to industrial, previously the only zoning classification where chicken slaughtering was allowed. Instead, the city Planning Commission opted to support what would become the proposed ordinance to allow the slaughter and processing of live poultry throughout the city.

The irony is that Liborio went more quickly through the tough process of obtaining a privileged gaming license -- one that requires a thorough investigation for suitability of the owners by local and state law enforcement officers and the approval of state gaming regulators and city officials. And it did so with nowhere near the same level of controversy.

The market still has to go before the City Council to obtain a special use permit to open its on-premise chicken-killing operation. City officials said that as of Wednesday, Liborio still had not applied for that special use permit.

The issuing of that permit is expected to be hotly contested because residents near the market strongly protested the bill that allowed commercial markets to slaughter live poultry.

At the earlier council meeting, both sides argued with great emotion for and against the measure. Council members were told it is part of Hispanic culture to prepare and eat freshly killed chicken. The council indicated that a diverse community must respect the customs of a broad range of its citizens.

Also, the council was given assurances from the Clark County Health District that such operations would be closely monitored for sanitary conditions by both Health District and U.S. Agriculture Department inspectors. Council members who toured the proposed chicken-slaughtering facility at Liborio say it is similar in appearance to a scientific laboratory.