Board fails to take action on Evans' concrete plant request

Action on a request by a Glade Valley man to open a concrete plant on his property was tabled by Chair Ken Richardson at the mid-month meeting of the Alleghany County Board of Commissioners after the members of the board failed to make a motion on the matter.

Richardson and J. Warren Taylor both had voiced opposition to making changes to the county's high impact land use/polluting industries ordinance, which regulates concrete plants. The ordinance requires that any plant be 2,000 feet from any ‘protected structure', which includes homes, schools, churches, hospitals and other structures.

The ordinance allows a plant to open if the all of the property owners surrounding the proposed location give an easement on their property deed stating as much.

Businessman Stacy Evans had argued through his attorney, Hugh B. Campbell III of Gardner, Gardner and Campbell of Mount Airy, that the county's regulations basically amount to a ban on concrete plants, since a location 2,000 feet away from any protected structure would be very difficult to find and that property owners would not likely give away such an easement on their deed. Campbell said that the county should have a tiered system for such plants, with smaller plants having smaller distance requirements. He suggested 250 feet at the earlier meeting.

The board agreed to research the matter through county Planner Amy Pardue at its first meeting of the month and then take up the issue at its mid month meeting. However, after Richardson and Taylor voiced their opinions on the matter, none of the remaining commissioners spoke and none of the commissioners made any motion when Richardson called for a move on the matter.

Pardue reported to the board that the she received one answer to an earlier request for information—from a planner in Clinton whom attended a meeting with her recently. She said that area does have small and large concrete plant designations, but that the county there has actual zoning with light industrial and heavy industrial zones.

In speaking with state officials, Pardue said the concern is in arsenic emissions.

Evans later clarified that a small batch concrete plant like the one he is proposing does not use arsenic. He said arsenic is used at larger plants as a concrete additive.

Pardue said, "These type plants do not go along with the land development plan...the area where he wants to locate is a rural area." Taylor asked if the fact that the plant being proposed is called ‘portable' has anything to do with the location there.

Pardue noted that the designation of such plants has more to do with the amount of concrete they will produce.

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