Zoning board conditions approval of Central Stone/Leclerc quarry expansions; requires survey, neighbor protections

The LaSalle County Zoning Board of Appeals recommended that the County Board approve two related special-use petitions (25-02 Central Stone Company and 25-03 Leclerc Investments) to permit mining, loading and hauling of sand, gravel and other aggregates in Troy Grove Township and an adjacent parcel, subject to several conditions requested by staff and the Soil and Water Conservation District.

Brian Dockery, vice president of Riverstone Group (the parent company of Central Stone and Leclerc Investments), described the operation and the need to secure additional reserves near an existing processing plant. Dockery said the firm has operated in the region for decades and that the quality of the stone in the requested parcels is “the only quality stone in LaSalle County which means it's the only stone source you can use to put into ready mix and asphalt.” He explained the company purchased the parcels under different subsidiary names for tax/1031 reasons and that the two petitions address expansion north and west of the current pit.

Vicki Heath of LaSalle County Soil and Water summarized a combined site assessment and noted the soils score was high (93.9/100 for soil productivity; site assessment 130/200). Heath and board members raised concerns about an existing natural-gas transmission pipeline that crosses the area, the location of existing subsurface agricultural drain tiles and the proximity of a nearby farmstead well. Dockery and company representatives said they would avoid mining directly up to the pipeline, would maintain buffers and berms (Dockery described typical 150-foot setbacks and use of berms to store topsoil for reclamation) and proposed offering pre-blast surveys and well protection procedures for nearby residents.

Staff and board members discussed and then proposed the following conditions (summarized): - A subsurface agricultural drain-tile survey and a plan to maintain or redirect tile flow as needed before commencing mining. - Either a groundwater-monitoring plan (implemented by the petitioner) or an offer of a well-protection / replacement agreement for existing residential wells within one-half mile of the expansion areas; the petitioner offered pre-blast surveys to document building conditions prior to mining activity. - Compliance with LaSalle County Soil and Water Conservation District recommendations and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources EcoCat recommendations (the IDNR EcoCat contains ecological recommendations, including species protections). - Notification to the LaSalle County Land Use Director and the County Assessor when the expansion begins and again when operations are active.

Board members debated whether full groundwater monitoring was necessary for aggregate mining (company said extraction would be roughly 60–80 feet deep and that the operation does not intend to mine the deeper St. Peter sandstone aquifer). Dockery estimated the petitioned acreage could yield roughly 25–33 years of reserves at 2–3 acres of active mining per year (after buffers and berms are accounted for). He said the company typically strips only the overburden needed for a few years at a time, leaving most ground farmed inside bermed buffers, and that topsoil is retained for later reclamation.

After amendments to add the staff-recommended conditions, the board voted to recommend approval of both petitions to the County Board. The roll-call votes recorded affirmative responses on the amended motion. Brian Gift said the petitions will be presented to the County Board on Feb. 13.

A written letter from Donna Waters, a trustee of a neighboring historic farm, was read into the record objecting to potential effects on farm wells, proximity to a Nicor gas pipeline, and the effects of explosives or leftover debris; the letter requested copies of the amended petition and related documents. Dockery and Riverstone attorneys said they had provided documents to Waters and offered to make additional information available.