Big crowd concerned about proposed asphalt plant prompts Bannock County planning meeting to be rescheduled
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UPDATE: Click here for info on the rescheduled meeting on the proposed asphalt plant.
POCATELLO — The Bannock County Planning and Development Council was forced to reschedule discussion regarding a proposed hot asphalt plant after approximately 100 residents showed up at a meeting Wednesday evening.
The council’s meeting was supposed to take place inside the Office of Planning and Development Services conference room. However, the maximum occupancy of the conference room was 36.
Before the opening of the scheduled meeting, the council announced that it would vote to consider rescheduling the meeting for another date and a different venue. The motion was carried unanimously.
“I’m just so proud of how many people showed up; it’s awesome,” said Brett Hallinan, whose property would butt up against the proposed asphalt plant.
According to a proposal the council was supposed to have voted on at Wednesday’s meeting, a 158.46-acre parcel of land near West Lacy and North Rio Vista roads would be rezoned from agricultural and residential to light industrial and warehousing.
Hallinan, who lives off Siphon Road, told EastIdahoNews.com that his home would be separated from the plant property by only his driveway.
So, given short notice — he says about 10 days — he knew he had to attend the meeting, to hear the entirety of the proposal and oppose it if he believed he needed to. But he learned many of his neighbors were never informed of the proposal.
Hallinan launched a word-of-mouth and social media campaign to inform his community of the meeting and proposal.
A primary concern of those in attendance was the lack of notice they received from the county — those who received any notice at all. He also has questions for the proposal itself.
He said dust from an asphalt plant would present major health and safety concerns for those who live in the immediate vicinity.
“We’ve already seen what those other gravel pits are doing around there, and that’s a big concern because the wind comes out of the west,” Hallinan said. “They may keep it watered during the day, but when they go home at night, or when there’s nobody there, and the wind comes up, what are they going to do?”
He said the people living in that area have formed a community, one that sees residents help their neighbors when a dust storm damages property.
The smell and noise pollution would also present a major issue.
Finally, he said there are concerns that those families who live in the area could see their drinking water contaminated by the plant. Water contamination is something Hallinan wants to hear addressed in the meeting.
“And we’re concerned about property value,” he added. “We’re hearing that we may lose property value — anything from $100,000 to maybe more.”
The council did not set a date or location of the rescheduled meeting but said they would do their best to inform the residents when those were set.
After voting to postpone the discussion and public forum regarding the plant, the council continued with the remaining agenda items on the docket.
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