And, so it begins.
Tuesday’s county commission meeting was standing room only, as organized opposition began to take shape against a pair of proposed rock quarries in Baldwin County.
The first proposed quarry is to be off Pancras Road, which the second on Avery Store Road, located off of Ga. 212. The latter is further along. Site plans already have been submitted to the Baldwin County Planning & Zoning Department, as well as a land disturbance permit. Ultimately, the county commission will have the power to either give the project the green light or turn it down.
People on Avery Store Road, along with nearby Nelson Road, already are mobilizing. Many in attendance at Tuesday’s meeting wore red. Six spoke during the public comments portion of the meeting, drawing loud applause.
“This is not just a quarry operation, but a concrete plant and an asphalt plant with a quarry projected to dig one-tenth-of-amile into the earth,” said Marion Nelson, one of the speakers. “My grandsons are the fifth generation of my family to enjoy the benefits of family-owned land and life in the country. If this project is allowed, our way of life will be forever destroyed, not just changed.” Roy Nelson, who is Marion Nelson’s son, also spoke.
“I never dreamed that we would be fighting 50 to a hundred dump trucks up and down (Ga. 212), which is the only thoroughfare in and out of town where we live,” said Roy Nelson. “I would just beg each of you to think about the impact that it has on the people who call this home, have grown up here and want nothing more than to live the rest of our lives here.”
The LLC associated with the Avery Store Road quarry is Cedar Creek Timberlands. That LLC currently has a purchase agreement on the 592-acre property, currently owned by Betty Walker.
Michelle Kemp, who lives near the proposed quarry, said that three investors are backing the project. One is from Baldwin County, according to Kent, while the other two are from nearby counties.
Here’s the proposal for the 592 acres, according to documents:
• Pit area – 118 acres
• Plant site area – 29.94 acres
• Tenant site area – 35.68 acres
• Overburden storage areas – 26.45 acres
• Permitted undisturbed area – 313.05 acres Meanwhile, in nextdoor Putnam County, a proposed rock quarry off on Dennis Station Road, not far from Twin Bridges Road, has been a rallying cry for many. With something similar happening in a neighboring county, The Baldwin Bulletin this week interviewed a pair of Putnam County residents who are helping to lead the charge in Baldwin’s neighbor to the north. Catherine Siewick and Miriam Hatcher first learned of a proposed rock quarry on Dennis Station Road in rural Putnam in late January.
“The first thing we did was raise awareness. Get the word out however you can,” said Siewick. “We’re not against rock quarries. We’re just against rock quarries in the wrong place.”
They quickly launched an online petition, which is now up to around 1,800 “signatures.”
Also, protesting against rock quarries costs money, according to Siewick and Hatcher. Most notable are the attorney’s fees, as one of the first things the group in Putnam County did was retain a lawyer. They also paid for an environmental consultant.
“We would highly recommend that the group in Baldwin County do this,” Siewick said. “(An environmental consultant) provides a wealth of knowledge and is an asset.”
Then, to a lesser extent, there’s money for tee shirts and yard signs. The Putnam County group established a GoFundMe page, which is currently up to $9,315.
So, how many jobs would a rock quarry create? The Baldwin Bulletin this week reviewed all documents submitted to the county government covering the proposed Avery Store Road quarry, but no information about job creation could be found. For the Putnam County quarry, en exact number has been hard to pin down. However, at a recent job fair hosted by the developers, “they were hiring for 11 (on-site) positions,” according to Siewick.