Several North and East Lubbock residents stood before the City Council Tuesday afternoon to oppose another concrete batch plant from joining the neighborhood.
Two councilmembers voiced strong opposition while others expressed reservations for the proposed special permit request that would allow for a concrete batch plant just over 600 feet away from the nearest residential property - but slightly within state guidelines.
Yet, the vote on a request for a special use permit to build the seventh concrete batch plant in East Lubbock was postponed by a 4-3 vote during the regular meeting. The item is tentatively set to return during the Oct. 27 meeting. Here's what led city council to this decision.
Robert G. Lines filed a special use request for Hicks
Oilfield, LLC., to build a 4.359-acre permanent concrete batch plant at 1501 Marshall St. Lines told the council how he chose the location due to it already being zoned for industrial, the presence of other similar operations in the area, and how his company planned to start with mixing dry batches. When questioned, Lines suggested the plant could do wet batches instead if dust was a concern.
One resident told council of how the current industrial dust settles impacts nearby residents in the Guadalupe neighborhood. District 1 Councilwoman Christy Martinez-Garcia said she could see the dust from her office, and agreed it is a health and quality of life issue.
However, dust was just one of the concerns raised by citizens and council members. Others included:
- Other industrial operations in the area already triggering TCEQ fines.
- Health issues.
- A history of neglect for the area.
- Pollution and current air quality.
"Put the plant wherever you want, but not here," one resident said during public comment. "Come spend a month in our neighborhoods. We don’t have splash pads or a community center. It’s totally inequality in our city for north and east Lubbock. Listen to the residents of Lubbock in that particular sector. We don’t need another concrete plant."
District 2 Councilman Gordon Harris agreed that North and East Lubbock do not need more industrial development.
"Stop dumping stuff in East and North Lubbock," Harris said. "It’s time out for them."
District 3 Councilman David Bruegel told Lines he was thankful for his interest in developing business in Lubbock, but said he intended to vote in opposition of this use permit, citing the potential risks. District 6 Councilman Tim Collins also expressed concerns about the location.
"I encourage this business to come to Lubbock," Collins said. "There’s a place for a new concrete company in Lubbock. My sense is it’s not this place."
However, District 4 Councilman Tim Green suggested his support, mainly due to the support of Planning and Zoning.
"This is an industrial parcel, and it will be used for industrial at some point," Green said. "I’m going to trust that our system in place, Planning and Zoning, has done their due diligence."
By the end of public comment, Mayor Mark McBrayer had also expressed his reservations about the location, but motioned to postpone the vote so city leaders could discuss it more and see if Hicks Oilfield would be open to making changes to lessen impact.
The motion was seconded and accepted with a 4-3 vote. Martinez Garica, Harris and Collins were opposed.
Alana Edgin writes about business for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Got a news tip? Contact her via email at aedgin@lubbockonline.com.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: East Lubbock concrete batch plant vote postponed by city council
