Favorable recommendation

U.S. Aggregates has cleared the first hurdle toward its goal of expanding its stone quarry.

Portland Plan Commission voted to give a favorable recommendation to Portland City Council for approval of the company’s request to rezone 108 acres of land for the planned expansion.

The process now moves to city council, which makes the final decision on all rezoning issues. If approved there, the company would also need to receive a special exception for mining from Portland Board of Zoning Appeals.

U.S. Aggregates president John Schmidt and attorney Josh Atkinson presented the company’s updated request for rezoning land between county road 100 South and Tyson Road, east of county road 200 West, to industrial from the current agricultural. The company — its current quarry is to the south at 2228 W. 125 South — removed other parcels of land that had been included in its previous rezoning request. (The original acreage was about 183.)

Schmidt noted other adjustments and/or commitments, including:

•Constructing a 15-foot berm with native vegetation

•Guaranteeing home values for 10 years for “losses attributed to the quarry”

•Utilizing “progressive reclamation” — reclaiming any physically disturbed area concurrently with the quarry’s operation

•Placing seismic monitors at key sites, such as Jay County Junior-Senior High School, to ensure vibrations from blasting are below government-mandated levels

Details of the home value guarantee and other requirements would be worked out with city council.

The changes came after U.S. Aggregates pulled its initial request following plan commission’s 6-2 vote for an unfavorable recommendation in April.

“The time from the last meeting was needed,” said Atkinson. “It really was. … It was needed to work with you all to develop a plan that can not only keep our quarry alive — keep our jobs here, keep our industries here — but to help benefit the neighbors, protect those neighbors … To work with our community to ensure everybody wins.”

Schmidt also expressed his feeling that U.S. Aggregates has addressed other concerns regarding dust, water and other issues. He noted a petition with more than 1,200 signatures in support of the project.

Public comment at the meeting was relatively limited, with four residents of homes near the proposed quarry expansion speaking in opposition while Jay County Highway Department superintendent Donnie Corn and Jay County Development Corporation executive director Travis Richards spoke in favor. (Ten spoke against the project at the April 1 meeting with six speaking in favor.)

The opponents raised concerns similar to those they had raised at previous meetings and in letters to the editor to The Commercial Review, including negative impacts in the areas of traffic, blasting, water, home values, dust and environmental impact. Theresa Inman, a resident of Tyson Road, asked that the company make specific commitments to ensure that environmental concerns are addressed. Tim Sheffer, who lives in the Beacon Heights addition west of the proposed expansion area, indicated his feeling that the city should extend water service to the area in order to eliminate concerns about negative impacts on wells.

“Please give some thoughts to the residents of Beacon Heights and beyond,” said Sharon Blankenbaker, also a Beacon Heights resident. “A list of seven concerns has been drawn up for your consideration and I hope you will see that these are important if this goes through.”

Plan commission members had only a few questions and comments regarding the rezoning before Steve McIntosh, Kyle Cook, Lee Newman, Janet Powers, Bart Darby, Randy Geesaman and Ron Laux voted unanimously for a favorable recommendation. Plan commission members Kent McClung and Don Gillespie were absent from the meeting, though McClung sent a letter in support.

There is now a 10-day period to certify plan commission’s decision, after which city council will have 90 days to act on the rezoning request.

U.S. Aggregates presented its initial plans at meetings in February, including a Feb. 18 plan commission meetings. Since then, the issues has been discussed at length, including at city council, Jay County Council and a public meeting hosted by U.S. Aggregates.

The proposal has been the subject of significant opposition from residents who live near the planned expansion area both at meetings and in letters to the editor, while supporters have touted the quarries impact on the local economy. Jay County Development Corporation, Jay County Commissioners, Jay County Council and mayors John Boggs of Portland and Jack Robbins of Dunkirk have voiced their support for the expansion.

U.S. Aggregates initially sought approval of its rezoning request at the April 1 plan commission meeting. After a motion to give a favorable recommendation deadlocked at 4-4, plan commission members then voted 6-2 for an unfavorable recommendation. That led to U.S. Aggregates pulling its recommendation rather than having it certified, making adjustments and returning to plan commission Thursday.