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Planning Commission tables quarry expansion; traffic study and neighbor concerns cited
Summary
Miami County planning staff said the Planning Commission voted 5–3 to table a conditional use permit request to expand the 1880 Block Quarry pending a traffic study; neighbors and commissioners raised concerns about dust, blasting, truck traffic and road impacts and staff had proposed 18 conditions including a maintenance/improvement agreement.
Planning Director Kenny Cook told the Board of County Commissioners that the county’s Planning Commission tabled a conditional use permit (CUP) application to expand operations at the 1880 Block Quarry near Fontana so the applicant could provide a traffic study and the commission could review updated materials.
Cook said the quarry operation predates zoning and that the applicant is seeking to expand permitted acreage from the current 80 acres to a larger area the applicant owns; the total property under ownership would be about 204 acres, although not all acreage will be quarried because of setbacks from the river.
Staff recommended approval with 18 conditions, including a requirement for an engineer traffic study and a maintenance/improvement agreement to address road impacts. At the planning commission hearing, neighbors raised concerns about dust, blasting vibration and past incidents (including reports that fly rock once crossed a road and injured cattle, which staff said is a historical concern). The commission’s motion to table — made to allow the applicant to complete a traffic study and present it — passed on a 5–3 vote, with several commissioners indicating they wanted the traffic data before deciding.
Cook said other discretionary conditions were discussed, including hours of operation (staff drafted 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday with limited Saturday operations for retail customers) and a potential but unlikely public blasting‑notification schedule. He also noted that protest petition rules for quarries differ from standard CUP protest thresholds and that the county’s status as a customer (the county uses rock from the quarry and the sheriff’s range is nearby) should be disclosed to minimize perceived conflicts in the quasi‑judicial process.
Ending
Planning staff will require the applicant to complete and submit a traffic study and will return the case to the Planning Commission and the Board once the study and revised conditions are available.
