NAMPA, Idaho — This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press.
On Tuesday evening the Warhawk Air Museum hosted a town hall on a proposed concrete plant that has caused a stir from community members who are worried about the plant’s potential impacts on traffic, health and safety.
Around 100 community members attended Tuesday night’s meeting, as well as several Sunroc administrators and local employees, who addressed some comments after residents had the opportunity to speak.
Construction company Sunroc has proposed a four-silo concrete plant to be built off of Victory Road, near the Happy Valley Road roundabout. Sunroc has several locations in Idaho and is based in Utah.
While the project was set to be discussed at a previous Planning and Zoning meeting, with a large showing from the community, Sunroc requested to delay the commission’s vote without explanation. Sunroc later stated that the company needed more time to work with the city.
Attendees listened intently as residents took to the mic, voicing health and safety concerns.
One resident said her husband only had 50% functionality of his lungs. Another neighbor has a young daughter who had a tracheotomy. A common concern residents have voiced is the dust particles the concrete plant would produce and how it would affect air quality.
When asked who in the crowd had respiratory or heart issues, approximately two dozen attendees stood.
“Our intent is to be 100% on it,” Sunroc President Mark Elder said about environmental regulations. “Have we had hiccups? Absolutely.”
Among the showing from residents were many former blue-collar workers who were familiar with the construction industry.
Resident Ross Barham has experience working at plants similar to the one Sunroc’s proposed.
“When you go to those plants, you got to wear your masks,” Barham said.
Barham was also concerned about the amount of noise pollution the added traffic and rock crushing would bring.
“The number of trucks you’re going to use is just astronomical,” he said.
With Columbia High School located off of Happy Valley Road, teacher Jen Cole was also concerned about traffic. According to Cole, the schools have six bus stops on Victory from Happy Valley to Kings Road. The perpendicular Grays Lane also has six bus stops.
“There’s no sidewalks anyway,” Cole said. “I just worry about the kids’ safety.”
The concrete plant is expected to consist of three towers at a height 25 feet shorter than a usual plant, Environmental Director Bill Gammell of Sunroc’s sister company Clyde Companies said.
Andrew George, president and director of the Idaho Aviation Association, acknowledged the importance of Sunroc’s product. In his line of work, George said he has used concrete for aviation and construction. But, George also said safety comes first.
“Let’s talk about the reality,” George said.
The proposed plant site is about 800 feet from the center of the Nampa Municipal Airport’s runway, George said. As planes need to maintain certain altitudes while near structures, the tall concrete plant would present a challenge.
“It makes a difference in regards to, ‘are we going to clear that?’” George said.
Gammell said it isn’t uncommon for concrete plants to be built near airports.
While the proposed site is across the street from a neighborhood, Gammell said the plant is not adjacent to any residential areas. This drew objections from the crowd.
With the location of the plant being within city limits, Gammell said traffic would be reduced overall because the plant’s trucks would have less distance to cover.
“We (currently) drive through the entire community every time a load is delivered,” Gammell said.
A common complaint throughout the meeting — that the city had not properly communicated that this project was happening.
Residents said that while the proposal has been going through the permitting process for a year, they were largely unaware. A sign noting the project details was placed on the property off of its private road that is sometimes closed by a gate.
Clyde Company Vice President and Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer for Clyde Companies Ally Isom concluded the night’s discussion as the Sunroc team left.
“It is our intent to be a good neighbor,” she said.
The next Planning and Zoning meeting scheduled to discuss the concrete plant will take place on Feb. 27 at Nampa City Hall.
This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press, read more on IdahoPress.com.
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