PJ Keating tells council quarry production limited to 7 a.m.–5 p.m.; retail sales can continue outside those hours

Attorney Robert Murray and PJ Keating officials told the licenses committee that the company’s quarrying and crushing operations are licensed to run between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., and that commercial sales and deliveries for contracted DOT work can occur outside those hours without a separate city quarry license.

“We observe the quarry operation 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in accordance with the ordinance,” attorney Robert Murray said while representing PJ Keating. PJ Keating president Derek Hill described plant procedures and said that pre-7 a.m. belt movement is often warm-up and that heavy production—tipping rock into the gyratory crusher—does not begin until 7 a.m.: “The hours of operation and the license, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. is the rock crushing, the production, the mining operation itself,” Hill said.

Councilmembers raised concerns after residents reported activity outside of licensed hours. The city solicitor read the controlling text of the city code that limits quarry extraction and noise-producing operations between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., and emphasized that the ordinance targets extraction/production rather than retail sales.

After receiving the company’s explanations and hearing that the contractor absorbs part of a recent change-order cost, the committee voted to remove PJ Keating from the show-cause calendar. The motion passed by roll-call vote.

What this means: According to the company and legal guidance from city staff, visible belt movement or limited staff activity outside daytime hours can reflect permitted sales or warm-up procedures rather than prohibited quarry production, but the quarry remains subject to the city ordinance that bans extraction-type activity during restricted hours.

Next steps: Council staff will track any future complaints and revisit the matter if evidence shows extraction or crushing outside permitted hours.