Quorum Court postpones O'Brien Ready Mix appeal after request for engineers
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Summary
The Quorum Court postponed the O'Brien Ready Mix conditional‑use appeal to the next regular meeting after applicant representatives said the project's engineer was ill and unable to attend. Residents urged the court to consider dust, traffic and wildlife impacts near Bob Kidd Lake.
Washington County justices voted to postpone the O'Brien Ready Mix conditional‑use appeal to the next regularly scheduled Quorum Court meeting after applicant counsel and staff said the project’s primary technical witness was unable to attend the specially called session.
Counselor Lester notified the court earlier that an engineer for the O'Brien Ready Mix project was sick and unavailable; he recommended postponement so the applicant could present a complete technical record. Several justices and the applicant’s counsel said they preferred to hear the full evidentiary presentation when key consultants were present.
During a 20‑minute public comment period the court added for the item, residents urged the court to delay action and raised environmental and safety worries. Speakers from neighborhoods around Bob Kidd Lake said they often see large numbers of eagles and waterfowl and fear a cement plant’s dust and truck traffic would harm the lake’s ecology and local quality of life. Other commenters emphasized narrow county roads, the absence of a left‑turn lane, and prior local accidents in the corridor.
O'Brien’s counsel told the court the planning board had unanimously approved the project before and asked for a full hearing with their engineer present; the applicant’s representative said they intend to provide technical testimony when the item is heard again.
What happens next: the O'Brien Ready Mix appeal will be rescheduled for the next regular Quorum Court meeting to allow the applicant to appear with its technical witnesses and for the court to receive a full record before a decision.
