Stop the Quarry in Cary

Monday, November 7, 2011

Meyer Material Zoning Meeting

On Thursday, November 10, the Village of Cary Zoning Committee will hear the new petition from Meyer Material asking for an extension of their mining privileges within the borders of the Village. The meeting will begin at 7 pm in one of the large rooms at the Holiday Inn, Crystal Lake. Hopefully, you can make the meeting. The more people the harder it will be for Meyer to get the board to roll over this time.

Hope you can make it.

If you can't make the meeting, but would like to know what's going on, I'll be "live-blogging" the meeting. I'll be posting comments in real-time, which you can view below.

About the Issue

In 2008, the Village of Cary gave in to greed by allowing Meyer Material Company to expand its gravel pit operations into the village, right next to the Fox Trails subdivision.

The agreement made in 2008 gave Meyer the right to mine until June 1, 2016. In exchange, Meyer was going to give the Village payments and provide for some homeowner's assistance for those most closely effected by the pit. To ensure compliance, the agreement included a $100,000 a month penalty paid for each month they go beyond the June 1, 2016 deadline. By 2018, the land was going to be reclaimed into a park that would be given back to the village

Against the wishes of Fox Trails residents, an extension was given to Meyer, mining times extended. A dredge was added to the equipment.

The final deadline to turn over the land has come and gone. The land has not been given back to Cary. Meyer wants perpetual mining rights on the land before it is lives up to its contractual obligations. Meyer/Lafarge now owes Cary hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines. But refuses to pay.

The saga continues....