By Edmond Ortiz
Converse City Council meets Aug. 18 to consider permitting an asphalt plant that could arise in the middle of town.
What you should know
Local officials are looking at a special use permit application for an asphalt plant on a vacant 26-acre lot on Farm Road 78 between Legion Drive East and Kneupper Road.
The proposed facility would be located mostly in an existing light industrial district, but because “asphalt plant” is not mentioned by name in Converse’s code of ordinances, it is considered by city staff a heavy industrial use, so an SUP is needed for it to operate.
According to Henry Couch, interim community development director, addressed the application at a July 20 city planning and zoning commission meeting. He said the city met its legal requirements in notifying property owners within 200 feet of the proposed plant.
The city received no direct responses, but as word spread of the SUP application, several residents have leveled criticism, voicing concerns about noise, pollution, traffic and the building’s appearance as the structure would sit in the Salitrillo Creek floodplain not far from Waterford Park Apartments and the Hanover Cove neighborhood.
Couch explained that because of the location for the proposed plant and how the area is zoned for industrial use, there are not many options for developing the land.
“It is a very unique layout where it’s at. The property is nestled far back from the street with almost no free frontage that’s available,” Couch said. “The part that is buildable is a majority (industrial) district. There are few uses possible for this area.”
What they are saying
Project representatives said operations of the asphalt plant would comply with applicable local, state and federal laws and requirements. Astec Industries, a Tennessee-based company, would build the 2,000-square-foot facility. The city projects deriving $125,000 to $250,000 in annual sales tax revenue from the project.
Still, some commissioners and a few residents remain worried about the proposed asphalt plant’s impact, and questioned its location.
Christie Vowell, a nearby resident, said the city should have tried notifying residential neighborhoods about the potential of an asphalt plant being established in their midst. She added that the facility could be located close to two schools.
“It’s very disappointing for us to build something that is potentially polluting our air right beside a neighborhood full of families. My son has asthma,” Vowell said. “We all know that these pollutants can contribute to asthma and make it worse.”
Commissioner Billy Ortiz echoed Vowell’s sentiments, saying he and many fellow veterans who live in the immediate area could potentially see their health ailments exacerbated by pollutants emanating from the plant.
Commissioners voted 4-3 to recommend approval with multiple conditions, such as sound level limits, and provisions for drainage runoff. But commissioners agreed to proceed without other stipulations suggested by city staff, including restrictions on building height and operational hours. Council now will review the panel’s recommendation Aug. 18.
Commission Chair Danny Muth said he understood community members’ worries about such a facility, but the city has to balance the public good with the plant being permitted to operate legally in order for the business to succeed.
“I don’t think what (the applicant) may be asking for is necessarily unrealistic, at least industry-wide. We have to decide whether it’s unrealistic from a community side,” said Muth, who voted to recommend approval.
