Crawford County Commission votes 3-2 to approve granite quarry following public hearing
Crawford County Commissioners voted 3-2 on Tuesday to approve a granite quarry based on certain conditions, including limiting blasts to certain hours of the day and certain days of the week.
CRAWFORD COUNTY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Crawford County Commissioners voted 3-2 on Tuesday to approve a granite quarry based on certain conditions, including limiting blasts to certain hours of the day and certain days of the week.
Those conditions include not operating between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., only operating between 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturdays, no Sunday production and no production on major holidays.
The vote followed a presentation by Cottondale Partners LLC and a lengthy public hearing that included comments from the Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia (GSHG). As proposed, the quarry would be located within two miles of Girl Scout Camp Martha Johnston, the state organization’s central meeting location.
According to GSHG Chief Advancement Officer, LaDon Shaw, Girl Scouts have gathered at the Camp for nearly 100 years.
“It’s also one of the only camps in the United States that Juliette Gordon Low, who is our founder, actually visited, so it does have a lot of sentimental and historical value for us,” Shaw said.
Shaw said the camp currently relies on well water and that Girl Scouts would no longer be able to visit the camp if the quarry were to contaminate nearby groundwater or streams.
GSHG Assistant Director of Life Skills, Micele Edwards, helped the girls prepare to speak before county leaders. She said the opposition to the quarry gave the Girls Scouts an opportunity to learn new skills and engage in the democratic process.
“The girls are working on their public speaking badge this week, as well as their democracy and advocacy badges, which all fall into that Girl Scout life skills category,” Edwards said.
Following the public hearing, Commissioners Jackie McCowen, Omar Dickey and Dale Jump voted in favor of accepting the Planning and Zoning Commission’s June special request exception recommendation to approve the site on Highway 80. John Thomas and Justin Spillers voted against it.
“I hope after all this is said and done, one way or another, families can get back together, friends can get back together and we can unite,” McCowen said before the vote.
Tessa Walters, a Girl Scout who says she did her own research on the quarry, was concerned about the effect work trucks kicking up dust would have on the air quality at the camp.
“This rock quarry is not a good idea,” Walters said. “This is not right. It poses a threat to wildlife, public, the public’s health and safety and a bunch of property.”
Planning and Zoning Administrator Jake Watson said in June that the quarry would be required to adhere to regulations set by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency and Georgia Environmental Protection Division and encouraged Crawford County residents to visit communities where quarries are already operational to learn about their impacts.
Click here to watch Tuesday’s presentation and public hearing.
