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Council grants mining setback waiver to M and M Stone with conditions to protect tower anchors
Summary
Atoka trustees granted a waiver of the state mining commission's 25-foot setback along city-owned property to M and M Stone (Mr. Miller) with stipulations excluding areas near communications-tower guy-wire anchors and requiring protective barriers; council emphasized no blasting near the tower.
The Atoka City Council voted to grant a waiver of the state mining commission's standard 25-foot setback for surface-mining operations along a parcel adjoining city property, with conditions designed to protect existing communications infrastructure.
Applicant Mr. Miller said he sought the waiver to mine to his property line, level the site and eventually make the land usable for development. "I'm not trying to get any city's property. Just all my property," Mr. Miller said, explaining he would not blast near the city-owned tower. City staff and the emergency management representative urged safeguards for the tower's guy-wire anchors, noting storm erosion was already encroaching on anchor locations. The council's motion to grant the setback waiver included a stipulation excluding areas immediately surrounding the tower anchors and a requirement for some form of security barrier or berm to reduce public-safety risk; the motion passed on a roll-call vote.
Staff clarified that the mining commission, not the city, issues the permit itself, and that objections to the mining permit must be filed with the state mining commission within the statutory comment period. The council noted it can later expand or modify the city's position if the tower site is relocated.
