By Jennifer Eisenbart
Staff writer
The Town of Burlington Board of Supervisors unanimously approved both a zoning changing and a conditional use application as approved by its planning and zoning committee to allow an asphalt plant on the former J.W. Peters property.
Property owner Cretex Materials Inc. of Elk River, Minn., and plant operator Asphalt Contractors Inc., of Union Grove, had asked the town and county to rezone a portion of the property at 34215 Market Street from quarry district to heavy industrial district and grant a conditional use permit for an asphalt manufacturing plant.
In addition to the manufacture of asphalt, the permit would allow recycling of pavement, sale of asphalt products, storage of equipment and construction of shop and storage buildings.
The motion cleared the county’s Land Use Planning Committee Monday night. Following the town approval, it will go back to the county in June for final consideration by the full County Board.
There was heated commentary Thursday night at the planning and zoning commission meeting, as many city residents in that area objected to the plant as a nuisance in close proximity to a residential area. A few residents also spoke up for the plant, saying it would bring jobs and that the fears over health and noise issues were unfounded.
For full coverage of the meeting and the issue, please see the May 31 print edition of the Burlington Standard Press.
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So did our elected officials ask for any similar comparisons of other plants in residential areas? Any feedback from officials in other towns or residents where the situation is alike?
Someone wants to open a yoga studio in a neighborhood downtown and it gets nixed by locals but a zone change to Heavy Industry and 12 hours per day operation with heavy trucks running through the neighborhood and that’s ok. What? Who? Huh? Am I crazy?
No Citizen on Kane, you are NOT crazy! This is a travesty! The fact that Ralph Rice and his board rammed this through speaks volumes! They had NO intention of listening to those of us who live close. Toxins in the air, noise pollution, etc., etc., – for FIVE JOBS??? Totally disgusting.
So J.W. Peters had no trucks running back and forth in their day-to-day operations? Wow, how the heck did they deliver those huge concrete beams?
Burlington finds a way to provide jobs, collect more taxes and make use of abandoned property… and all you can do is complain?
Get over it!