Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Asphalt Batch Plant Iup Renewal topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning commission grants five-year interim-use renewal for temporary asphalt batch plant with odor-control condition
Summary
The commission approved a five-year interim-use permit extension for an asphalt batch plant at an existing gravel pit, adding a condition that odor-mitigation measures be employed while the plant operates and aligning operating hours with typical county permits.
The Clay County Planning Commission approved a five-year interim-use permit extension for a temporary asphalt batch plant located in an existing gravel mine in Hagen Township, subject to conditions including an odor mitigation requirement and hour limits consistent with other county permits.
County staff summarized the site's extensive permit history dating to 2010 and explained the current request is an extension of a prior interim-use permit that would otherwise expire this month. The applicant, RJ Zaveral and Sons, requested a five-year extension; staff and the applicant said the plant’s typical on-site activity historically has lasted a few weeks to several weeks per construction season (applicant estimation this year: three to five weeks; staff noted prior instances of four to six weeks).
Staff and speakers acknowledged recurring complaints to the county since 2019 tied to the batch plant—principally odor and dust. Staff and the applicant discussed possible mitigation approaches, including stack misters or other abatement systems, and the commission added a condition that odor-mitigation measures be employed while the batch plant is operating. The commission also discussed consistency in operating-hour conditions; staff suggested matching the county’s typical pit operating hours (weekdays and limited weekend hauling).
The applicant, Jeff Brooks (aggregate manager), said dust-control and haul-road maintenance have improved under his management and that the company would study odor-mitigation options and accommodate neighbors where feasible. A nearby resident, Josh Carlson, described family health concerns for his two-year-old son with chronic lung issues and said the township had not taken a final position earlier in the month.
The commission voted to grant the five-year extension with conditions 1–9; the motion carried. Staff noted that Hagan Township’s zoning and any township permit conditions could be more restrictive and that, if the township denies or restricts a permit, the plant would not be able to operate even with county approval.
