LOUISVILLE, Ky. — An Eastern Jefferson County subdivision is pushing back on a concrete plant planning to build across the street.
SI Ready Mix has already started clearing ground on Aiken Road near Lake Forest and the company will complete construction if given a permit to do so.
It's a sight homeowner Jerry McGraw says neither he, nor his neighbors, want to see.
"There are going to be a lot of unhappy people and I think at this point the effort is to push as hard as we can,” he said.
McGraw said the neighborhood is concerned about a few things - one is air pollution because of possible dust coming from the plant, which he says can affect property and kids at a nearby school.
McGraw also pointed to noise pollution if trucks enter and leave the site at early hours.
He's also worried about property values.
"Who's going to want to buy a house 500-feet from a concrete plant,” McGraw said.
Metro Councilman Anthony Piagentini, R-District 19, said he's concerned about the close proximity the plant would be to some Lake Forest residents and said he wonders why the company chose the site.
"I'm really confused by why some of these local land owners, folks that own this land, folks that own this building, would pick this piece of property at this close proximity to residential area to create what is a manufacturing process that is known to have harmful health outcomes,” he said.
Piagentini said SI Ready Mix received unanimous approval from the design committee in March, but it has to get a permit from the Air Control Pollution Board in order to build and operate. It’s a process he says that is now going to hear public comment because of emails from Lake Forest residents.
McGraw said that’s a step in the right direction.
“At least, at this point, we’ve been able to accomplish a situation where we can go in and we can express our concerns,” he said.
Despite concerns, Piagentini said he wants to know more the company's plans.
"Because just like the public has due process rights, so do the property owners,” he said.
SI Reaady Mix’s lawyer, John Talbott, sent WHAS the following statement:
“SI Ready Mix’s concrete mixing plant was unanimously approved through a publicly noticed hearing several months ago. The site is on property that has been zoned Industrial (M-3) for several decades, long pre-dating Lake Forest. All air pollution control regulations will be followed or exceeded, with state of the art air filtration systems being employed. Additionally, landscape buffers will be utilized to further shield the primary operations. This industrial area already includes a rock quarry, making the location appropriate to serve the tremendous construction growth in this area of our community. Even though no road improvements were required, SI Ready Mix further agreed to construct a left turn lane to alleviate potential traffic issues on Aiken Road. In obtaining its permits and approvals, SI Ready Mix has not only complied with all relevant regulations, it has exceeded them, which it will continue to do as good neighbor and to provide needed services for the area.”
Piagentini said a meeting will be held on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. to discuss the topic.
► Contact reporter Bobbi McSwine at BMcSwine@whas11.com or on Facebook or Twitter.