Residents and advocates press council to downzone Kronos Concrete site near Cadillac Heights; council says it is reviewing options

Residents of Cadillac Heights and nearby neighborhoods urged the council committee to intervene on the Kronos Concrete mixing facility, saying the plant’s expansion created dust, noise and health problems.

Reverend Sharon Buttry, steering committee member of the Detroit‑Hamtramck Coalition for Advancing Healthy Environments, told the committee the facility occupies a large 43‑acre footprint between Jerome, Six Mile and Conant and that residents report dust covering gardens and vehicles and illnesses they attribute to the plant’s operations. Samantha (last name not specified in record), who identified herself as a Cadillac Heights resident, described heavy noise from idling trucks and generators and said she had filed more than 50 complaints with city permit and state environmental agencies, including video documentation. She said the facility had operated without a working air filtration system for three months and added that she received no response from the health department.

“What we have is constant noise of idling trucks and generators 12 hours a day, six days a week,” the resident said. “The air pollution haze is visible every day … I can feel the impacts of dust after being outside for more than a half hour. You can feel it in your eyes, you can taste it, there’s a heaviness in your chest.”

Advocates asked the committee to support a forthcoming effort to downzone the property so the site would be returned to uses compatible with the densely populated area and the adjacent Joe Louis Greenway. Reverend Buttry asked the council to enforce the city’s fugitive‑dust ordinance and to help return the property to a “healthy use for the residents.”

Council response and next steps

Council Member Scott Benson acknowledged the complaints and said his office is tracking properties that abut the Joe Louis Greenway. “We currently have an initiative going on. We’re looking at downzoning properties that abut the Joe Louis Greenway. And this is one of those,” Benson said, adding that his office has been a leader on downzoning in the city.

No formal zoning change or motion was adopted at the committee meeting. Residents were told the council member’s office is “on top of it,” and advocates indicated they will proceed with a targeted downzoning effort and ask the council for formal support in future sessions.

Background and context

Speakers referenced the city’s fugitive‑dust ordinance and Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and said they had filed complaints with both the city and state agencies. The Kronos site is located near densely populated neighborhoods, including Cadillac Heights and the former Sunnyside neighborhood footprint, and is adjacent to the Joe Louis Greenway alignment.

Quotes

“We need the fugitive dust ordinance enforced,” Reverend Sharon Buttry said during public comment.

“This facility and its expansion has been absolutely devastating to our community,” a Cadillac Heights resident said, citing noise, visible haze and days she could not keep windows open.

Ending

Residents asked the committee to support downzoning and enforcement; council staff said they are reviewing the situation and that the council member’s office will continue to engage with affected neighborhoods and relevant departments. No formal council action was taken at this meeting.