Just in Time for Halloween: The Return of Meyer Material!

We all knew this was going to happen--it was only a matter of time.  Over the last couple of days, Cary residents near the Meyer Material gravel pit have been receiving letters via certified mail.  The content:  Meyer Material wishes to extend their mining operation in the village of Cary until the year 2022.

Yes.  You read right:  2022.

Back in 2008, the Village of Cary voted unanimously to grant Meyer Material Company a "conditional use permit" to extend their current operations by making their gravel pit even bigger.  There was much opposition, as many of you remember.  However, greed won out and our mayor, Tom Kierna, commented on how he was "looking forward to a prosperous relationship with Meyer."  Here is what I wrote three years ago in regard to this issue:

I wonder what this "long-term" relationship includes? Perhaps further extension of the pit into Hoffman Park? All that has to happen is the Cary Park District sells that land to Meyer and we are going through this all again. Only this time there will be less opposition, because people will know that the concerns and well-being of the community are secondary to the whims and wishes of a faceless corporation.

Meyer Material is owned by Aggregate Industries, one of the largest mining companies in the world headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland.

And now they want to continue mining until 2020 with the "recreation area" being completed by 2022.

Here's the thing:  back in 2008, they signed a deal with the village that would allow mining on the property for only until June 1, 2016.  Then, if they fail to meet that deadline, they will be charged a fee of $100,000 a month for every month they extend beyond that deadline.

Meyer Material should be forced to live up to the original agreement.  Currently, Fox Trails residents near the pit cannot open their windows during the summer months due to the amount of dust.  Now Meyer wants to continue this for another 4 years?  What happens in 2020?  Will Meyer come to the board again with another extension request?

There has been talk that Meyer wants to install a concrete mixing facility on the property as well.

What will Cary do?  We know what they should do: say "no" and collect the fees.  That was the original agreement.  Stick to it.

But will they?  We know how the mayor feels.  Here's a nice cozy picture of him with the Meyer people and their 2009 "Community Relations" Award.  What a joke.

There will be a public hearing on this November 10, 2011.  As usual, the meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn in Crystal Lake.

Hope you can make it.  In the meantime, let the village board know that Meyer needs to stick to their original deal.

Tom Kierna  villagehall@caryillinois.com
Duane (Rick) Dudek  rdudek@caryillinois.com
Robert Bragg rbragg@caryillinois.com
Raymond Chisholm  rchisholm@caryillinois.com
Bruce Kaplan  bkaplan@caryillinois.com
Jeffrey Kraus jkraus@caryillinois.com
Karen Lukasik klukasik@caryillinois.com

More to come.