Dear neighbors and friends,
Another Jackson County Planning Commission filing deadline has passed, and Vulcan Materials (the largest aggregate company in the US) once again did not file for either a Special Use Permit or re-zoning for the 1000 acres in South Jackson County on which they have contingent contracts and want to install a rock quarry, with future related concrete and asphalt plants. For those new to this issue, the land is located between Chandler Bridge Road and Hwy 441 (along the North Oconee River near Jefferson River Rd.) and is currently zoned agricultural, mostly in county conservation agreements, in other words beautiful rural countryside.
There are many who believe that Vulcan is willing to wait (and definitely can afford to wait) on Board of Commissioners (BOC) elections, with the goal of seeing Commissioners elected who would be supportive of their project. In addition to our continuing work showing the damaging impact this would have to our quality of life, including water supply, air quality, traffic congestion, noise and property values, it is imperative that we get engaged in the upcoming commission elections, determining the positions of all candidates on this issue. Certainly, this particular issue resonates most with nearby residents and with those impacted by the potential water pollution which would even impact the Clarke County water system intake, which is fed by the large aquifer beneath the proposed location. However, for the entire county the critical issue is for the public to come together to elect candidates who will support our rural way of life and reject special use permitting or re-zoning that is not consistent with the approved Comprehensive Land Use Plan. We also need to ask these candidates to commit to working with the citizens in the upcoming round of land use planning in order to maintain our quality of life.
Up first is a special election on March 12 (the same day as the Presidential Primaries) in District 5 to replace Marty Clark, who has resigned to run for Chairman of the Board of Commissioners (BOC). The candidates who are running are Cole Elrod and Joshua Shepherd. At this time, we do not know the positions of either of these candidates on this important issue. Only District 5 residents can vote in this race, and early voting starts on February 19. The main election is a partisan primary on May 21 for Board Chair and Districts 1 and 2 as those current terms expire this year. We will not know all the candidates running until after the qualifying period of March 4-8. The District 5 seat will be filled immediately, but the terms for the District 1 and 2 Commissioners and BOC Chair last until January. We are working to set up candidate forums, and your support is essential.
In the meantime, please write or call all the current commissioners to reiterate your opposition to the quarry and support for adherence to the Comprehensive Plan; ask your commissioners (and candidates) to let you know where they stand; you can say that your support/vote is conditional on their answer. Even though Tom Crow, the current chair, is retiring, please continue to include him in your letters since he will have a vote through the remainder of this year.
Thanks for staying engaged in this critical issue!
Please share this email with others who may be interested.
Babs McDonald for
CSJ and Stop the South Jackson Quarry Teams
