Commission recommends ready-mix plant site despite residents' dust and truck concerns

The Lubbock Planning and Zoning Commission voted 4–1 to recommend approval of zone case 0470A, a specific-use request for a ready‑mix concrete plant, moving the item to City Council for first reading on Aug. 25 at 2 p.m.

Applicant Connor Kroll, of Kroll Incorporated, told the commission the company plans to install “state-of-the-art dust collectors” and build a brand‑new ready‑mix plant on the lot. Property owner Jeff Hicks noted the site sits beside existing industrial uses, including an asphalt plant and a city solid‑waste facility on Grinnell Street.

Several nearby business owners opposed the proposal at the public hearing. John Hall of CMH Manufacturing warned of mechanical damage from airborne dust, saying bearings ‘‘have lubricants in them that are sticky…if you get dust in the lubricant, the bearing life is cut by 90%.’’ Miles Seibert, who manages about 90,000 square feet of small‑business space nearby, said his tenants would be harmed by increased dust and truck traffic.

Planning staff told commissioners the property meets the ordinance requirement for a minimum 600‑foot separation from residential, civic or institutional uses for the requested specific use. Commissioners who favored approval cited the parcel’s long history of heavy‑industrial zoning and surrounding industrial operations; the dissenting vote expressed concern about siting and public impacts.

Because the commission’s recommendation is advisory, City Council will take the final action on Aug. 25. The record before the commission includes applicant mitigation commitments and public testimony about air quality and street wear; council members will be able to review those details before first reading.