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MSD Southwest Allen County Schools board unanimously opposes proposed quarry near Lafayette Meadows Elementary
Summary
At a special meeting the board approved a resolution opposing a proposed Heritage Group quarry adjacent to Lafayette Meadows Elementary, citing student safety, air quality, traffic and long-term operational concerns; the board will submit the resolution to Allen County review bodies.
The Board of Education of MSD Southwest Allen County Schools voted unanimously at a special meeting to approve a resolution expressing opposition to a proposed phased quarry development near Lafayette Meadows Elementary School.
Superintendent Dr. St. John, presenting the resolution, said the board reviewed the proposal through a lens of student and staff safety, the learning environment, transportation and operational integrity and concluded the plan "raises significant concerns" relative to those priorities. The resolution, read into the record, notes the developer's larger land proposal of roughly 1,600 acres and describes a phased quarry operation the text reads as “covering approximately 524 acres.” The resolution requests that the Allen County Board of Zoning Appeals, Plan Commission and other agencies consider the quarry’s proximity to Lafayette Meadows in any review and hearing.
Board members who spoke during discussion reiterated core concerns listed in the resolution: heavy truck traffic on routes used by school buses and families, potential impacts to air quality and dust near campus, noise and vibration from quarry operations including blasting, and possible long-term impacts to school operations and facilities. Mrs. Mappert, participating remotely, criticized a developer communication that she said had been labeled confidential and told applicants not to treat board correspondence as private. One public commenter who opposed the quarry, Shawn McCarthy, told the board, "What Heritage Group is proposing is destruction," a remark echoed by several other residents who cited worries about wells, water tables and property values.
The motion to adopt the resolution was moved and seconded, and the chair called a voice vote; members signified agreement and the motion passed. The resolution authorizes the superintendent and board president to submit the resolution to appropriate county review bodies and to include it in the official record of hearings related to the proposed project.
The board did not attempt to block county review or to exercise land-use authority; the resolution is an expression of the board’s position and will be part of the public record for Allen County’s planning and zoning review process.
