Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning board recommends approval of two readymix concrete plants near 41 Commerce Park
Summary
The Planning and Zoning Board recommended approval of site and development plans for two readymix concrete batch plants (SRM and Northley) after staff described mitigation measures and neighbors raised noise and buffering concerns.
The City of Newberry Planning and Zoning Board unanimously recommended approval on May 4 of site and development plans for two readymix concrete batch plants: SRM’s proposed facility on a roughly 9.6‑acre parcel at 41 Commerce Park and a Northley plant on about 54 acres farther east.
John Paul Perez, Community Development staff, told the board the SRM petition was consistent with the city’s comprehensive plan and land development regulations and included staff‑recommended conditions: dark‑sky‑compliant lighting, added landscaping at the northwest corner, stormwater controls and enhanced screening where the site abuts Avalon Woods. He said the site is designed to load trucks that “go in, they fill up and then they leave,” with overnight vehicle storage and aggregate storage areas.
No members of the public opposed the SRM plan at the hearing, but a board member asked whether the operations still relied on an early‑morning horn used in earlier approvals. Brandon Bishop, SRM’s general manager, responded: “We don’t blow the horn. All the new ones come with the dust shroud that has a light extended in front of the truck. It’s a strobing light. As soon as the ticket’s done, the load’s done, the light strobes.” Staff told the board it could add a condition requiring a non‑audible notification system if the board wanted it enforced.
The Northley proposal, presented by Perez as similar in scope, covers the south portion of a larger property and will rely on existing driveways and FDOT coordination for access on US‑2741. Engineer Chris Pototts said the noise study did not require a constructed earthen berm; instead, the plan retains and enhances an existing 25‑foot vegetative buffer and locates stormwater basins and landscaping to provide attenuation. Pototts said distances between the plants and nearby residential edges are roughly 300 feet in places.
Both site plans were approved by the board under the quasi‑judicial standard and will proceed to city commission review for final action and permitting steps such as FDOT coordination and any county referrals staff flagged in the conditions. The board’s approvals included the staff conditions on landscaping, lighting and coordination with affected road authorities.
