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Columbia County approves contested rezoning for quarry site with school‑hour truck restriction after lengthy public comment
Summary
After nearly three hours of public comment focused on health, water and traffic risks, the Columbia County Board of Commissioners approved a multi‑parcel rezoning to allow a quarry operation—subject to planning conditions and a new restriction barring trucks from making left turns onto Lewisville Road during school arrival and dismissal hours (vote 3–2).
The Columbia County Board of Commissioners approved a multi‑parcel rezoning on Jan. 6 to allow surface‑mining (quarry) operations on properties including Tax Map 040 Parcel 055B and several adjacent parcels, after residents and experts delivered extended public comment on health, traffic and groundwater risks.
Commissioner Malir introduced the rezoning motion (to convert split zones RA/M‑1 and RA to RA and S‑1, and to apply multiple planning conditions including traffic and paving improvements) and the board heard more than a dozen speakers before voting. Opponents said the quarry and nearby data‑center development should be considered together because they function as a single industrial corridor and can multiply local impacts. Gregory Guido told the commission the quarry “exists to support the data center,” saying the projects “function as one industrial system” and that treating them separately “hides the true cumulative impacts of this corridor.”
Residents and…
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