JCDC backs quarry expansion

A proposal to land allowing for the expansion of the local stone quarry has the support of Jay County Development Corporation.

The JCDC board during a special meeting Thursday voted to support US Aggregates’ effort to rezone a parcel of land north of its current site to allow for the expansion of its quarry operation.

US Aggregates has been seeking to rezone (to industrial from agricultural/residential) about 115 acres, the bulk of which is between county road 100 South and Tyson Road, east of county road 200 West. The company hopes to open a new quarry site on the property, which sits north of its current site (2228 W. 125 South). Officials have said the current site has about three to five years of material remaining while the expansion site would extend the life of the quarry by about 30 years.

The company pulled its rezoning request this week after Portland Plan Commission on April 1 voted to recommend that Portland City Council deny it. (City council has the final say on all rezoning requests.) Had council denied the request, the company would have had to wait a year before resubmitting.

In pulling the request, US Aggregates said it wants to work with plan commission members to address issues of concern. It hopes to modify and resubmit its request as soon as possible with a goal of receiving a recommendation of approval from the plan commission.

The rezoning has faced opposition, predominantly from residents who live in the area nearby the proposed expansion site.

Thursday’s Jay County Development Corporation special meeting stemmed from a discussion during its regular meeting last week about whether the organization should take a formal stance on the project. Both sides were asked to present information JCDC for review prior to the meeting.

In addition to that information, two JCDC board members spoke on opposite sides of the issue Thursday.

Joe Johnston, who lives about a half-mile away from the proposed expansion site, raised issues that he and others opposing the expansion addressed at the April 1 plan commission meeting. Those include concerns about blasting, dust, noise, impact on wells, potential damage to underground infrastructure, increased traffic and decreased property values. He also argued that a quarry in that area would shut down any potential expansion of Portland to the west of its current city limits.

“None of the people I’ve talked to … want US Aggregates to shut down,” said Johnston. “That’s never been the intention, but the feeling has been that what is being proposed by US Aggregates isn’t the best fit for Portland and surrounding neighborhoods. We think other options should be explored.”

Fellow board member Josh Atkinson, an attorney who represents US Aggregates, said the operation requires a specific type of rock that is available in the proposed expansion site and said the area is already industrial, pointing out nearby Tyson Mexican Original, Community Fiber Solutions, Red Gold and the current quarry. He added that US Aggregates is heavily regulated by a variety of federal and state agencies and said a significant increase in traffic is not expected.

“There has to be a certain depth, by a railroad, with a particular time of rock. That is this exact field,” Atkinson said of the location. “They own this exact field that is right next to their existing quarry. If another site exists that meets all those criteria, I am not aware of it.”

After hearing from both sides, board members asked questions and discussed the rezoning and stone quarry expansion for about 45 minutes. Topics included traffic, monitoring of wells, mitigation if wells are affected, the frequency of blasting (two to three times a month) and the impact of blasting.

Board member Angela Paxson pointed to the JCDC website — it references developing local assets and promoting industrial development — as a guide toward making a decision. Given JCDC’s stated mission, she asked her fellow members what it would say about the organization if it was against the US Aggregates rezoning.

Local elected officials — Portland Mayor John Boggs, Dunkirk Mayor Jack Robbins, Jay County Council president Jeanne Houchins and Jay County Commissioner Brian McGalliard — all spoke in support of the rezoning effort.

McGalliard pointed out that the POET Biorefining ethanol plant built across the street from the quarry site and has not had any issues as a result of blasting. (He and fellow commissioners Chad Aker and Rex Journay previously signed a letter of support for the rezoning request.)

Boggs said while he sympathizes with homeowners, US Aggregates has a huge economic impact on Portland.

Robbins noted the impact of the decision beyond US Aggregates itself, pointing out that his city’s Ardagh glass manufacturing facility purchases materials from the quarry.

“Any little thing that hurts our biggest employer … is risky,” he said. “As far as Jay County, can we afford to lose any business? One business? Two businesses? …

“US Ag has been there for a lot of years. …

“I think the whole county ought to do everything we can to keep them.”

Houchins mentioned that previous projects, including POET, confined feeding operations and the two wind farms in the county, have also faced opposition.

“This is an existing business that was here long before those houses were here, before the school was built out there,” she said. “How can we not promote an existing business? What is that going to say about Jay County?

“We have to look at the huge scope of everything and long-term down the road.”

The board members in attendance at the meeting voted 15-1 in favor of supporting US Aggregates’ effort to rezone the land and expand its operation. Johnston cast the lone dissenting vote. (Atkinson had excused himself from the meeting prior to final discussion and the vote, citing the board’s conflict of interest policy.)