Vote NO to rezoning part of 700 to Industrial Use
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Background
Martin Marietta has been evaluating a site on Johnson Road for a combined aggregate storage/distribution facility and concrete/asphalt production plant(s).
Currently they are requesting approximately 95 acres be rezoned from Agricultural to Industrial at the South point of Route 700 also known as Johnson Rd. This property is under contract with the owner, pending the outcome of the re-zoning. Martin Marietta has held two informational meetings with property owners adjacent to the proposed site and one meeting with the planning commission to file their application.
It has been mentioned that the operation of the concrete and asphalt plants will NOT be done by Martin Marietta, but some other firm. No one has spoken with a representative of this proposed firm.
Property Values/Location
There is a designated wetland at the back of this property that has free flowing water through it headed for Lake Anna. During its journey to the lake, this creek passes in close proximity community with several hundred homes in it.
Home owners in the immediate area have experienced substantial increases in their property values over the last 3 years, not only as a result of the housing market, but due to investments and upgrades we have all made. These gains are generally lost or fail to increase when industrial concerns enter the area.
Currently there is no other Industrial zoning on Johnson road; it is all agricultural and residential, growing at a steady pace. There is however Industrial zoning, with rail availability, on the road leading into the power plant. Also, based upon drawings provided my Martin Marietta, if the proposed additional rail spur were placed in a similar location entering into property already owned by the county either near the landfill, the animal shelter or the industrial park, these areas would be better suited to this type of growth.
Road Damage/Traffic
Research shows a single concrete plant like the one proposed would have a maximum capacity of 80 to 90 cubic yards of concrete per hour. An average size concrete truck carries approximately 7-10 cubic yards; that would be a maximum of 8-10 trucks leaving the plant per hour with concrete alone. Note that a vehicle trip is counted each time a line on the road is crossed by a vehicle traveling in either direction.
Assuming a 10 hour day, that would be 160-200 vehicle trips per day, in just concrete movement. With this number of trips per day, inevitably the homeowners at some point would experience vehicular damage to stray bits of gravel being released from trucks, thus causing expense at several levels to the owner.
While acceleration and deceleration lanes have been proposed for route 700, nothing has been mentioned of the turn from route 618 (Frederick's Hall Road) onto route 700. A multi-unit tuck requires 595' of sight distance to make an entrance into a road from a complete stop. Due to the rise and curve in route 618 from the East, the actual sight distance is about 250'.
It has been estimated that a fully loaded ready mix truck does as much damage to the road as 9,600 passenger cars. While Johnson Rd has been upgraded steadily over the years to accommodate entrance to the plant, Frederick's Hall Rd and Kentucky Springs Rd have not.
Approximately 1/4 mile to the North of the entrance to the proposed site is a very gradual curve to the North East. Over the past 3-4 years there have been 4 accidents in this corner involving passenger cars alone. Observation indicated that nearly every heavy truck that comes through this corner has to downshift causing noise pollution as well as drifts into the South bound side of Johnson Road. Eventually, an accident will occur involving a ready mix or aggregate truck and a passenger vehicle.
Water Usage
It takes a lot of water to make concrete. Figures range from 45 to 75 gallons per cubic yard. Additional water is used to clean the trucks when they return from job sites. Ready-mix trucks can carry up to 10 cubic yards of concrete and an additional 25-100 gallons of water. That is a maximum of 450 to 750 gallons of water per load.
With a maximum plant capacity of 80 to 90 cubic yards per hour and assuming a 10 hour day, the maximum amount of water used per day could be 36,000 gallons (800 cy. per day * 45 gallons per cy.) to 67,500 gallons (900 cy. per day * 75 gallons per cy.). That works out to 60 to 113 gallons per minute or 720,000 to 1.35 million gallons per 20 day month, for just one plant.
One resident within 1500' of the proposed site has a 410' well, with the pump submerged to 225'. This owner can run the well dry in just over 2 hours.
Pollution
The lake, natural springs, and wetlands and animal habitat are near, and within, the proposed plant site. Pollution from the concrete & asphalt plants as well as consolidation of airborne gravel dust outside containment could potential damage these areas. This area is a direct contributor to the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
There would also be noise pollution from backup beepers and heavy equipment, light pollution from the security lamps, and the potential of air pollution due to wind-borne Portland cement powder and dust from the piles of aggregate waiting to be used to make concrete.
It takes approximately 20 minutes to unload a single rail car of gravel. Martin Marietta estimated between 2 and 3 unloads a day, and certainly one could expect more than that in the beginning. A large amount of noise pollution would probably be generated as a result of the hour to hour and a half it would take to complete each cycle. This sound can be compare to a child tossing a handful of gravel down a metal sliding board.
Health Risk
Portland cement contains ingredients that are known carcinogens and poses a variety of other serious health risks.
Prolonged exposure to airborne gravel dust is also a great health risk and potential contributor to lung cancer at the worst, reduced breathing capacity and quality of life at the least.
While the proposed placement of the entrance to the plant has clear sight lines, the ancillary roads very close do not. Eventually someone could potentially get hurt.
Asphalt production is a complex process involving many types of chemicals that not only smell bad during the production, but amounts as little as a tea spoon can render nearly 100,000 gallons of water unusable.
Martin Marietta has been evaluating a site on Johnson Road for a combined aggregate storage/distribution facility and concrete/asphalt production plant(s).
Currently they are requesting approximately 95 acres be rezoned from Agricultural to Industrial at the South point of Route 700 also known as Johnson Rd. This property is under contract with the owner, pending the outcome of the re-zoning. Martin Marietta has held two informational meetings with property owners adjacent to the proposed site and one meeting with the planning commission to file their application.
It has been mentioned that the operation of the concrete and asphalt plants will NOT be done by Martin Marietta, but some other firm. No one has spoken with a representative of this proposed firm.
Property Values/Location
There is a designated wetland at the back of this property that has free flowing water through it headed for Lake Anna. During its journey to the lake, this creek passes in close proximity community with several hundred homes in it.
Home owners in the immediate area have experienced substantial increases in their property values over the last 3 years, not only as a result of the housing market, but due to investments and upgrades we have all made. These gains are generally lost or fail to increase when industrial concerns enter the area.
Currently there is no other Industrial zoning on Johnson road; it is all agricultural and residential, growing at a steady pace. There is however Industrial zoning, with rail availability, on the road leading into the power plant. Also, based upon drawings provided my Martin Marietta, if the proposed additional rail spur were placed in a similar location entering into property already owned by the county either near the landfill, the animal shelter or the industrial park, these areas would be better suited to this type of growth.
Road Damage/Traffic
Research shows a single concrete plant like the one proposed would have a maximum capacity of 80 to 90 cubic yards of concrete per hour. An average size concrete truck carries approximately 7-10 cubic yards; that would be a maximum of 8-10 trucks leaving the plant per hour with concrete alone. Note that a vehicle trip is counted each time a line on the road is crossed by a vehicle traveling in either direction.
Assuming a 10 hour day, that would be 160-200 vehicle trips per day, in just concrete movement. With this number of trips per day, inevitably the homeowners at some point would experience vehicular damage to stray bits of gravel being released from trucks, thus causing expense at several levels to the owner.
While acceleration and deceleration lanes have been proposed for route 700, nothing has been mentioned of the turn from route 618 (Frederick's Hall Road) onto route 700. A multi-unit tuck requires 595' of sight distance to make an entrance into a road from a complete stop. Due to the rise and curve in route 618 from the East, the actual sight distance is about 250'.
It has been estimated that a fully loaded ready mix truck does as much damage to the road as 9,600 passenger cars. While Johnson Rd has been upgraded steadily over the years to accommodate entrance to the plant, Frederick's Hall Rd and Kentucky Springs Rd have not.
Approximately 1/4 mile to the North of the entrance to the proposed site is a very gradual curve to the North East. Over the past 3-4 years there have been 4 accidents in this corner involving passenger cars alone. Observation indicated that nearly every heavy truck that comes through this corner has to downshift causing noise pollution as well as drifts into the South bound side of Johnson Road. Eventually, an accident will occur involving a ready mix or aggregate truck and a passenger vehicle.
Water Usage
It takes a lot of water to make concrete. Figures range from 45 to 75 gallons per cubic yard. Additional water is used to clean the trucks when they return from job sites. Ready-mix trucks can carry up to 10 cubic yards of concrete and an additional 25-100 gallons of water. That is a maximum of 450 to 750 gallons of water per load.
With a maximum plant capacity of 80 to 90 cubic yards per hour and assuming a 10 hour day, the maximum amount of water used per day could be 36,000 gallons (800 cy. per day * 45 gallons per cy.) to 67,500 gallons (900 cy. per day * 75 gallons per cy.). That works out to 60 to 113 gallons per minute or 720,000 to 1.35 million gallons per 20 day month, for just one plant.
One resident within 1500' of the proposed site has a 410' well, with the pump submerged to 225'. This owner can run the well dry in just over 2 hours.
Pollution
The lake, natural springs, and wetlands and animal habitat are near, and within, the proposed plant site. Pollution from the concrete & asphalt plants as well as consolidation of airborne gravel dust outside containment could potential damage these areas. This area is a direct contributor to the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
There would also be noise pollution from backup beepers and heavy equipment, light pollution from the security lamps, and the potential of air pollution due to wind-borne Portland cement powder and dust from the piles of aggregate waiting to be used to make concrete.
It takes approximately 20 minutes to unload a single rail car of gravel. Martin Marietta estimated between 2 and 3 unloads a day, and certainly one could expect more than that in the beginning. A large amount of noise pollution would probably be generated as a result of the hour to hour and a half it would take to complete each cycle. This sound can be compare to a child tossing a handful of gravel down a metal sliding board.
Health Risk
Portland cement contains ingredients that are known carcinogens and poses a variety of other serious health risks.
Prolonged exposure to airborne gravel dust is also a great health risk and potential contributor to lung cancer at the worst, reduced breathing capacity and quality of life at the least.
While the proposed placement of the entrance to the plant has clear sight lines, the ancillary roads very close do not. Eventually someone could potentially get hurt.
Asphalt production is a complex process involving many types of chemicals that not only smell bad during the production, but amounts as little as a tea spoon can render nearly 100,000 gallons of water unusable.
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