County may zone out asphalt

The Alleghany County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing on Sept. 13 at 6:45 p.m. to discuss adopting a second moratorium on polluting industries. Anyone may attend the meeting, which will be held at the county office building at 90 South Main Street in Sparta.

The county earlier passed a moratorium for 90 days to study regulating the industry in Alleghany, a move which effectively blocked any building permits for asphalt plants and ‘other polluting industries.’

However, at the earlier meeting County Manager Don Adams noted that the regulation of polluting industries does not necessarily stop them from being built. He did note at the time that the county could look at zoning to effectively — and permanently — block such industries from locating here.

The new moratorium would be the first step in that direction, giving the county 90 days to study the option of passing a zoning ordinance to regulate the industry.

At the commissioners’ meeting on Aug. 15, opponents to the proposed Maymead plant noted that they have organized under the name “Alleghany Citizens for Environmental Safety” and have joined with the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League.

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