BENTONVILLE -- A plan for a proposed limestone quarry near Lowell could be on hold for another two weeks, a county planning official said Monday.
The applicant asked for a postponement until the Dec. 19 Benton County Planning Board meeting. Anchor Stone from Tulsa would lease the land and quarry the stone.
The quarry proposal was set to go before the Planning Board on Wednesday night. The board will have to vote at that meeting to move the item to the Dec. 19 meeting, Planning Director Taylor Reamer said Monday.
The extension is needed to gather additional information requested by planners when the board tabled the proposal Nov. 7, according to the updated meeting agenda posted Friday.
Planners delayed discussion after Anchor Stone said it would help the county maintain a 6,000-foot portion of North Old Wire Road near the quarry. Any road work would have to be approved by County Judge Barry Moehring because he is in charge of the Road Department. Planners also asked Anchor Stone to conduct a traffic study. The study and road plan were expected to be turned into the county Planning Department on Monday.
Wednesday's meeting will start at 6 p.m. in Circuit Judge Robin Green's courtroom in the main courthouse. County meetings will be held in Green's courtroom because the elevator in the County Administration Building will close for repairs starting Wednesday. The main courthouse is at 102 N.E. A St. Residents who plan to attend the planning meetings must use the south entrance off East Central Avenue.
The quarry site is at 1425 N. Old Wire Road where red dirt is taken from the Cross Hollows mine. The area is just northeast of Lowell. Parts of the 135-acre property owned by David Covington are laid out in sections of 10 acres. Each 10-acre parcel represents a five-year operating period for limestone production, according to the Planning Board's executive summary on the proposed project.
Many residents who live near the proposed quarry spoke against it at the Nov. 7 meeting, citing possible well water contamination and increased heavy truck traffic on Old Wire Road.
A rock crusher and blasting are part of the project, according to planning documents. Blasting would be done once a month.
NW News on 12/04/2018