| 116th Year, 52nd Issue | Thursday, August 4, 2005 | Sparta, North Carolina |
The Alleghany County Commission approved a moratorium Monday night that will temporarily block an asphalt plant seeking to locate on the site of the former Laurel Springs School on N.C. 18, just north of the intersection of N.C. 88 and downtown Laurel Springs.
Prior to the vote, County Manager Don Adams informed the commission that they have three options. The first option was to take no action, the second was to enact a temporary moratorium to regulate the industry and the third was to advertise for a public hearing for two weeks and then pass a zoning moratorim en route to zoning regulations effectively banning the industry.
In the end, the county passed the moratorium on the grounds of studying the regulation of the industry, but left the door open for the other opton — a countywide zoning ordinance affecting ‘polluting industries.’ However, the county would have the option of whether or not to seek zoning regulations, Adams said Tuesday. The matter likely will be discussed at the next county meeting, which will be held on Aug. 15 at 10 a.m.
A list of sample ‘polluting industries’ in the moratorium document
included asphalt plants, chip mills and medical waste facilities.
The moratorium ordinance that was approved further states that the
industries “produce objectionable levels of noise, odors, vibrations,
fumes, light, smoke, air pollution or other physical manifestations
that may have an adverse effect on the health, safety and welfare of
its citizens in Alleghany County.” Examples of concerns included
traffic safety, undesireable visual impacts and objectionable levels of
noise, odors, vibrations, fumes, light or smoke, the ordinance said.
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