Lane County Commissioners voted Tuesday to delay their decision on whether to allow a new gravel mine near Oakridge.
Opponents of the proposal said they weren't surprised by the move, but had hoped for more definitive action.
The vote followed around 90 minutes of sometimes tearful public comment, which saw more than 35 people testify against allowing the quarry on TV Butte.
Speakers included Oakridge residents, city officials, and a representative of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. They expressed concerns about potential pollution, noise, and impacts on local big game.
Oakridge City Administrator James Cleavenger said the mining would occur near a former municipal dumping ground, which could leak chemicals into the city’s aquifer. He said he’s worried this could create a Superfund site.
“As nicely as I can say, the city will certainly sue the county, because the county also operated the dump,” said Cleavenger.
A staff report found multiple potential violations of Lane County’s Rural Comprehensive plan in the application, including interference with the Willamette Highway Salt Creek Corridor.
Staff also suggested the area impacted by the quarry may be larger than what the application considered, and that the proposed mitigation efforts weren’t adequate.
Bill Kloos, an attorney for the applicant, argued that the conflicts could be mitigated, and adjustments could be made after the county approved the application.
He also disputed whether Willamette Highway Salt Creek Corridor would be protected under county law.
Kloos said the current quarry application is identical to the one from 2021, which was rejected in a 3-to-2 vote by a previous Board of Lane County Commissioners.
“The board has changed, which means this board may see compliance with standards where the former board did not,” said Kloos. “I mean, everything's up in the air here.”
The decision
In July, the Lane County Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend denying the application. On Tuesday, two County Commissioners—Heather Buch and Laurie Trieger—indicated they would like to follow that guidance.
“I had concerns from the jump that, for whatever reason, an incomplete application was submitted,” said Trieger. “It didn't start off on the best foot.”
However, the three other commissioners—Pat Farr, David Loveall, and Ryan Ceniga—voted to keep the record open for 47 days, giving all parties the opportunity to submit more information.
Farr, who had voted to approve the Old Hazeldell Quarry in 2021, said he still had unanswered questions.
“I have deep concerns myself, and my concerns were magnified today by hearing testimony from the people who actually live in Oakridge,” said Farr. “I need to hear a little bit more.”
Loveall said he had environmental concerns, and he floated the idea of the City of Oakridge making an offer to purchase this property from its current owner, Ed King.
King has contributed to the campaigns of all five Lane County Commissioners—although only Farr, Loveall, and Ceniga received money during their most recent runs.
On Tuesday, each commissioner said these contributions would not affect their abilities to rule on this application without bias.
Save TV Butte Director Sabrina Ratkowski told KLCC she's hopeful that councilors are taking the Oakridge community’s concerns seriously.
However, she said the applicant has had years to answer the community's concerns, so it’s frustrating that they’re getting more time now.
“Investors that are involved in the Old Hazeldell Quarry are able to go along with their day-to-day lives, are able to go to sleep at night and not think about us at all,” she said, “when it's a daily reminder for us.”
A representative of the quarry, Phil Donovan, told KLCC by email that it needed more time to review the county staff’s report.
The Lane County Commissioners are expected to revisit the application in January for further discussion.
