The Board of Lane County Commissioners voted 3-2 on Tuesday to tentatively approve a controversial gravel mine near Oakridge.
The Old Hazeldell Quarry would be located on TV Butte. Nearby residents have shared concerns about the potential for increased noise there, as well as air and water pollution.
Last year, the county’s Planning Commission unanimously recommended denying the proposal. They found that the applicant’s plan to protect the local elk population was incomplete.
However on Tuesday, Lane County Commissioners Pat Farr, David Loveall, and Ryan Ceniga took a step to advance the plan, asking staff to draft an ordinance with reasoning for the application’s approval. Alternatively, they could have asked for an ordinance of denial.
At the meeting, Farr said he was interested in the economic possibilities. He said he’d like to see more gravel produced locally.
“It really is the bed of everything that we sit on right here, that we drive on, and that we require for our transportation needs,” said Farr.
According to county staff, there is not a strong demand for more gravel supply in eastern Lane County. Farr said he believed there may be a greater need elsewhere in the region.
Meanwhile, the three commissioners in support expressed skepticism about how significant the impact on big game wildlife would be. Ceniga said there should be other suitable forested land for the herds to move to.
“I’m no elk expert,” said Ceniga. “But with 980,000 acres to a million acres around there, I think they're gonna find somewhere.”
According to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the land within the quarry’s impact area is more suitable habitat than the surrounding area.
Commissioners will still need to vote on the final ordinance. If they approve it, the application could be reconsidered by the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals, or LUBA.
In an email to KLCC, quarry spokesperson Phil Donovan said this has been a tiring public process so far.
“Once approved, Old Hazeldell Quarry is committed to being a good long-term neighbor in Oakridge, providing needed resources for the future,” said Donovan.
Oakridge reacts
Oakridge resident Matt Burney travelled to Eugene to watch the vote in person. He said he felt commissioners had feigned interested in the community's testimonies at previous meetings, only to ignore them now.
“To not acknowledge or specifically mention any single concern from an Oakridge citizen in today's discussion tells me that they're not concerned,” said Burney. "They're concerned with making sure Ed King's project goes through."
The owner of the Old Hazeldell Quarry, Ed King, contributed to the campaigns of Farr, Loveall, and Ceniga during their most recent runs for office, as well as the other two current commissioners in older campaigns.
At Tuesday’s meeting, each of the commissioners stated that they could make impartial decisions despite these contributions. Loveall said he considers King a friend, but they have not spoken since the commissioner took office.
Oakridge City Administrator James Cleavenger said he believes these Lane County Commissioners had a conflict-of-interest. He said he's for hopeful for a better outcome with LUBA.
“LUBA is not made up of elected positions, so they aren’t accepting campaign contributions from the applicants,” said Cleavenger. “So, hopefully we’ll be on an even playing field.”
