Wednesday, October 06, 1999
Boone Co. faces vote on mining
Limestone digging sought
BY KRISTINA GOETZ
The Cincinnati Enquirer
BURLINGTON — An underground limestone mine may not be exactly what Boone County officials dream about when they ponder the future of a fast-growing area.
But even though a previous fiscal court declined to consider underground mine regulations a few years ago, Martin Marietta Materials Inc. did not give up.
After years of debate and a court order in 1997 to develop a zoning code for subsurface mining, proposals from the company finally reached the fiscal court Tuesday.
Commissioners got their first taste of Martin Marietta's three proposals as Planning Commission Director Kevin Costello detailed the staff report.
“Most of your experiences are with above-ground (mining),” he said. “This is a little bit different.”
The first application is to rezone the land from agricultural to industrial. That would allow subsurface mining.
The second is a request for a variance within the industrial zone that would allow a 1,500-foot setback from residential areas instead of 3,000 feet.
The third is a mixture of industrial and planned development. This proposal would likely allow the areas not being used to be designated recreational for walking trails and possibly parks.
The site is about 575 acres on the north side of Interstate 275 at the Petersburg interchange.
Unanimous vote
The planning commission voted unanimously in May to recommend denial of all the proposals.
Even when fiscal court members vote on these requests, the issue may not be over. Whether members vote for Martin Marietta's proposals or against, both opponents and mining officials have vowed to take the issue to court.
And another company, Hilltop Mining, has indicated to fiscal court members its intention to file a zone change request for an area near the Martin Marietta site. It has yet to do so.
Boone County Administrator Jim Parsons said the deadline to vote on the issue is Nov. 2. The fiscal court will meet in caucus Oct. 19 and then may schedule a special session to vote on the proposals.
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