Buffalo County rejects sand plant...
ALMA, Wis. — Zoning permits for an industrial sand drying plant and railway loading station near Cochrane-Fountain City School were soundly rejected at a public hearing Tuesday night.
The three-member Buffalo County Zoning Board of Adjustment voted unanimously to deny two permits sought by farmland owners from Texas and mining developer Glacier Sands.
Ron Kazmierczak of the zoning board said the proposed project location was “totally incompatible” with neighboring land uses in the rural Fountain City town of Milton.
About 250 people showed up for all or part of a six-hour public hearing inside a sweltering hot auditorium gym at Alma Area School. About a hundred stuck through to the end and cheered when the zoning board turned down the permits at 11:30 p.m.
Nearly 70 people offered testimony and petitions were presented signed by more than 600 people opposed to the project.
The C-FC School Board, after a closed session meeting Monday night, also recommended that the zoning board deny the permits. All seven school board members, C-FC superintendent Tom Hiebert and the district’s hired attorney testified Tuesday against the project.
Senior school board member Charlie Krueger of Milton said protecting child safety and a clean environment on school grounds were chief reasons for stopping the project.
Several people spoke about air and water pollution risks and worries about road safety due to heavy truck traffic.
http://www.winonadailynews.com/news/article_6fb61200-d6d1-11e1-9110-0019bb2963f4.html
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