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Forestville residents urge supervisors to block proposed Canyon Rock asphalt plant over fire, air and water concerns
Summary
Multiple Forestville residents and community groups told supervisors that an asphalt plant proposed at Canyon Rock Quarry would threaten public safety, air quality, and the Green Valley Creek watershed and urged the county to oppose the project or require stricter environmental review.
Dozens of residents from Forestville and surrounding parts of West County used the Board of Supervisors' public-comment period to object to a proposed asphalt plant at Canyon Rock Quarry, saying the site is in a high-fire area and immediately adjacent to environmentally sensitive Green Valley Creek.
Speakers described the plant proposal as incompatible with the site's location on State Route 116'a designated scenic corridor'and warned of increased truck traffic, toxic emissions and higher fire risk. "This is a bad place for an asphalt facility," said Mary Rand, a Forestville resident who said her organic farm lies less than a mile from the proposed site.
Community members cited prior county inspections that documented unaddressed permit conditions at the quarry and urged supervisors to ensure planning staff rigorously enforce conditions and require comprehensive environmental review before the county accepts further permit applications. Several speakers said a similar proposal was fought and denied two decades ago.
Why it matters: Supervisors cautioned they cannot predecide pending planning applications and said a land-use proposal must go through the planning commission process; they also stressed that if a supervisor publicly takes a position on a pending quasi-judicial project it could require recusal at a later hearing.
Board response: Chair Hopkins emphasized the proper sequence: an applicant must file with Permit Sonoma and the planning commission; only then can the board consider any appeals or hearings. Supervisors acknowledged residents' fire-safety and environmental concerns and said staff can provide updates about the planning process and enforcement of existing conditions.
Ending: Residents asked the board to prioritize protecting the Green Valley Creek watershed and to ensure county inspections and enforcement are adequately resourced before any expansion or new asphalt operations are permitted at the Canyon Rock site.
