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ST. MARYS - Over the objections of ardent critics who packed a community center on Wednesday night, the Noble Township Zoning Commission voted to recommend an application to rezone 142 acres of farmland to allow for a new stone quarry.
Commissioners Aaron Schamp, Rodney Kiefer and Kenny Dammeyer all threw their support behind the recommendation while Dave Overman cast the lone no vote.
The application now advances to the Noble Township Board of Trustees, which has 30 days to make a ruling. Township zoning allows quarrying as a conditional use.
The application was made by Kevin Weber of trucking firm Weber Building Materials. He wants to have about 142 acres in the 16000 block of County Road 66A rezoned from agriculture to industrial to start a new stone quarry within 5 miles of the ConAg stone quarry. The land is currently owned by Bruce and Luann Stoner.
Weber Materials, a different company than Weber Building Materials, currently has a mining contract with ConAg to crush stone, which ends in April 2030. Kevin Weber is also a partner in Weber Materials, according to John Hirschfeld, who along with his sister Terri Hirschfeld owns ConAg.
More than 100 residents crammed into the township community center to listen to Weber's plan for the property and voice concerns about the project.
"We're currently making about 10,000 tons (of stone) a year," Weber said. "Things are going well. We're making a lot of stone, selling a lot of stone. … We think that it's a natural progression if you look at the maps for us to progress over in the property for a variety of reasons."
Teri Hirschfeld said she and her brother John Hirschfeld had no prior knowledge of the proposal and that they have no desire to expand ConAg.
Lauren Craft and other local residents who oppose the zoning request created a website. They believe a second quarry could potentially result in blasting disturbances, dust and disruption of natural ecosystems.
They also fear that many homes surrounding the proposed industrial zone would be negatively impacted by increased truck traffic, noise, dust and potential structural damage.
Moreover, they cite a risk of severe well and/or water table damage.
Vickie Nedderman recently resigned from the township zoning commission, according to her social media account. Her property is located against the 142 acres.
She presented commissioners with a 11-page petition opposing the new quarry. Alleging she's already experienced damage from the ConAg quarry, she asked who would be responsible for additional damage if the project proceeds.
"We have had somewhat manageable damage," she said. "Including a new well, which Mr. Hirschfeld paid for through the quarry without any problems. We've had some cracks. We've had shifting joints, we've had some door frames cracking, things like that. We knew the chances of that happening. We knew that quarry was there. The new proposed quarry will be much closer behind and to the west of us. We're concerned about more serious damage, truck traffic, road damage, noise and dirt. Who's going to pay for road improvements and repairs?"
St. Marys City Councilman Kyle Schmel also spoke at the meeting, asking how the city stands to benefit from another quarry.
"I just want to know what, if any benefits are going to come to the city of St. Marys from you guys opening this up," he said. "Just to kind of echo what everybody else was saying about the narrow roads, is anything going to be done that's not going to be a tax burden on anybody in the city, St. Marys Township or will the county to have to do anything with the road?"
Schmel, who is also a township firefighter, voiced concern over the safety of the new quarry.
"Years ago we had to respond to an accident with one of the dump trucks where a girl lost her arm," he said. "With that much more truck traffic, we have a lot more potential for that to happen. Response times out here aren't great, and I don't want to see a whole lot more of that happening."
Weber responded to concerns regarding road conditions and increased truck traffic.
"We would absolutely want to participate in helping beef up that road," he said. "It only makes sense. It's good for the residents, it's good for trucks, it's good for the traffic. We would absolutely want to participate in beefing up that road. … I think at 430,000 tons (each year) we're about at capacity. It's just a shift of where the trucks are. I don't see the increased trucks. It would be very similar to what it's now."
Noble Township trustees meet next at April 15 at the Noble Township Community Park, at 16493 Saint Marys River Road.
