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North and East Lubbock residents urge tighter limits on concrete batch plants in UDC rewrite
Summary
City planning staff proposed removing temporary-plant requirements from the permanent concrete batch-plant subsection of the Unified Development Code while residents urged tighter restrictions and enforcement after ongoing dust complaints.
City planning staff proposed removing two temporary-plant requirements from the section of the Unified Development Code that regulates permanent concrete batch plants, arguing those two standards are tailored to temporary facilities used for on-site construction projects and do not belong in a permanent-use rubric.
At a joint Planning and Zoning Commission/City Council public hearing, residents of North and East Lubbock urged the council to use the UDC revision to tighten restrictions rather than relax them, saying nearby batch plants have emitted dust and particulate matter that harm neighborhood air quality.
"Particles being released by these batch plants has a direct effect on the health and welfare of our residents," said Zora Cortez, executive director of the North and East Lubbock Coalition, who said her home sits less than 500 yards from three concrete batch plants. "Why are you making it easier for these companies to do who do not follow the rules to operate in our neighborhoods?" Cortez said she and her group have or plan contested-case and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality complaints against facilities they believe are violating permit conditions.
Planning staff described the technical change as a clarification: permanent batch plants remain a specific use that requires City Council approval, while requirements that reference duration tied to a single construction project are appropriate to temporary plants and will be removed from the permanent-plant subsection. "They basically reference a temporary use," planning staff said, adding the two standards will be removed from the permanent-batch-plant section.
Residents asked why city-owned or vacant industrial parcels in their neighborhoods have not been rezoned away from heavy industrial uses and urged the city to consider downzoning, amortization schedules, and mediation with the community. Cortez said prior committee work on amortization and downzoning did not address city-owned vacant lots, which she said should be rezoned before they are developed.
Council members asked staff to confirm that temporary plants remain time-limited and that the permanent-plant subsection will still require specific-use approval. Planning staff told the council the temporary-plant limits remain in the code and that permanent plants will continue to require specific-use approval by council.
No formal action was taken; staff will return the full package to the Planning and Zoning Commission for a June recommendation and to council on the June 24 meeting date.
