Sullivan County residents voice concerns about rock quarry at Thursday’s meeting
SULLIVAN COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL)—Local residents voiced their recommendations at Thursday’s regional planning commission meeting regarding the proposed rezoning of 90 acres of land for a rock quarry and borrow site.
The quarry, set to be called the Horse Creek Quarry, would consume 90 acres of land off Sullivan Gardens Parkway. The land is currently residential, vacant land for single or low-density families (R-1) and is proposed to become a planned general manufacturing district (PMD-2).
Locals in the area have previously expressed concerns about the quarry. Some believe it would not benefit the county, while others disagree. Residents shared their thoughts at Thursday’s meeting.
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John Kunysz, a Kingsport resident against the quarry, fears ‘the city is becoming industrial’ and does not believe the rezoning is compatible with the area.
“Everybody’s talked about health issues, lung issues, wildlife issues, destruction of habitat, destruction of trees and growth around the area,” Kunysz said. “You still have a lot of heat fields. Dust and hay don’t work really well together.”
However, Nathan Jackson, a Kingsport resident who supports the quarry, believes ‘people are a little bit misinformed.’
“There is a lot of regulation that goes into having a quarry operation,” Jackson said. “There are sound levels they have to abide by. There are also dust control measures that they have to implement.”
Jackson believes the quarry would benefit the county’s economy.
Kunysz said he is disappointed in the county’s commissioners and believes ‘they should have been more aware of community impact and held more informational meetings to pull the community together.’
Now that an unfavorable recommendation has been expressed, the Sullivan County Commission will decide about the quarry.
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