Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Quarry Monitoring topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Stantec: Franklin quarry blasts largely within PDD limits; committee places Q4 report on file
Summary
At a Jan. 28, 2025, meeting, the Franklin City Quarry Monitoring Committee received a Q4 2024 monitoring report from Stantec showing most blasts met PDD limits; the committee voted unanimously to place the report on file while noting 12 resident complaints in the quarter.
The Franklin City Quarry Monitoring Committee voted Jan. 28, 2025, to place on file a quarterly monitoring report from Stantec Consulting Services Inc. showing that most blasting at the city quarry met the permitted-development (PDD) limits in 2024, though residents filed a dozen complaints during the fourth quarter.
Kristin Gunderson, a Stantec consultant, told the committee the Q4 report covers October through December 2024 and summarizes three unannounced exterior observation visits (two in October, one in November), seismic and air‑overpressure monitoring, and complaint tracking. “In that quarter, we did complete 3 observation events,” Gunderson said.
The monitoring summary showed 32 blasting events in Q4 and 87 blasts for calendar year 2024. Stantec reported that 98% of 2024 blasts were below the PDD vibration limit (two blasts exceeded that limit) and 99% were below the PDD air‑overpressure limit (one event exceeded that limit). Gunderson said 81% of blasts were detected by the Stantec monitors; some blasts were detected only by Payne & Dolan‑owned meters because of location differences between monitors.
The report logged 12 complaints in Q4 — one informal (phone) and 11 formal — all about vibration or noise. Gunderson said roughly half the complaints identified a specific address and half requested anonymity; the committee was told the general location for the anonymous reports was the Marquette Avenue area east of the quarry. One address submitted nine complaints over the year (one in Q1, three in Q2, one in Q3 and four in Q4). Gunderson noted that the blasts tied to the exceedances in 2024 did not have associated complaints.
Stantec also noted ancillary observations: the site street sweeper was not observed in use during two of the three visits, and most site dust complaints were minor and linked to trucks exiting the quarry to the east. Company representatives said planned blasting for 2025 will concentrate in two clustered areas north and northeast of the current pit and in a mid‑depth production area already mined to about 100 feet.
After brief discussion about the report’s content and the location mapping of complaints, the committee voted unanimously to place the Q4 Stantec monitoring report on file. The committee had earlier approved the minutes from its Oct. 29, 2024, meeting by unanimous vote.
City staff said the committee’s biannual monitoring report is presented to the Planning Commission; staff will follow up to confirm the next submittal date. Staff also said they will perform outreach to at least one household identified in the complaint record and update aerial base maps used in the packet.
Votes at a glance
- Motion to approve minutes of Oct. 29, 2024: passed unanimously. - Motion to place Stantec Q4 2024 monitoring report on file: passed unanimously.
The committee scheduled its next regular meeting for April 22, 2025; staff will supply updated monitoring data and a draft of any proposed wording changes relating to complaint reporting in advance of that meeting.
