7/11/24 CASHMAN RESUBMITS QUARRY APPLICATION FOR THE 3RD TIME!
7/11/24 CASHMAN RESUBMITS QUARRY APPLICATION FOR THE 3RD TIME!
UPDATE: 4/25/24: LEDYARD MAYOR FRED ALLYN HAS JUST TERMINATED OUR DIRECTOR OF LAND USE AND PLANNING JULIET HODGE. WE AWAIT HIS EXPLANATION REGARDING HOW THIS SUDDEN TERMINATION IS IN LEDYARD'S BEST INTERESTS.
UPDATE: 4/11/24: CASHMAN HAS RESUBMITTED THEIR QUARRY APPLICATION.
UPDATE: 2/6/24: CASHMAN HAS WITHDRAWN THEIR QUARRY APPLICATION.
The company is applying to Ledyard Planning & Zoning for a Special Use Permit to blast and excavate almost 40 acres out of historic Mount Decatur (its unique historical significance relates to the War of 1812) on the Cashman/GFI property in Gales Ferry. The image above is an artist's rendering of what Mount Decatur and the surrounding area look like today.
The prior (withdrawn) application and all relevant documents are available on the Ledyard Town website under Agendas & Minutes, Planning & Zoning Meetings for January 11th, via this link: https://ledyardct.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=A&ID=1056734&GUID=85455405-D3CF-4D9E-BCA8-E07DD4AF9D7B . The Special Permit public hearing opened on November 16th, 2023, but due to overflow of the Town Hall Annex room capacity, the public hearing was continued to December 14th at the Ledyard Middle School. Follow up hearings were held on December 21st, 2023 and January 11th, 2024. The company withdrew their application prior to the February 8th Planning & Zoning meeting.
Even with this resubmitted application, which does not materially differ from the prior one that was withdrawn, the company hopes to set up what would essentially be a 5-10-year mining operation to demolish the northern ~half of Mount Decatur. And they intend to set up a processing plant on-site to convert the blasted rock into "marketable material". In other words, the remnants of Mount Decatur will be sold commercially.
CALU's FOCUS IS TO ENSURE THAT SUCH AN OPERATION IS ONLY PERMITTED IF IT FULLY COMPLIES WITH OUR ZONING REGULATIONS, especially where the regulations pertain to abutting and nearby residential neighborhoods (both in town and across the river), schools, churches, etc.
Concern areas include:
CALU is in favor of economic development, but only if it is done responsibly and only if it complies with our zoning laws. At this time, we struggle to see how this particular operation will be able to fully comply with our zoning regulations and satisfy those criteria, but we remain hopeful and open-minded.
The IMAGE BELOW is an artist's rendering of how Mount Decatur might appear after 5-10 years of blasting and processing.
Citizens Alliance for Land Use
PO Box 735, Gales Ferry, CT 06335
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