Boxley quarry proposal stirs neighbors’ fears in Evington

By Sarah Watson

Published: September 29, 2008

EVINGTON — Despite a new list of changes made to a pending rezoning and special-use permit application for several hundred acres in Evington made by Boxley Materials, neighbors still are distrustful of the company’s plans and promises to the community.

About 40 Evington residents attended a town hall meeting Monday where they laid out concerns about the proposed quarry just off Virginia 24.

While the company just announced a list of changes to its application, neighbors said they feared existing loopholes in the county’s code could open the other parts of Boxley’s property up for other operations, such as asphalt and concrete plants. Some residents said they worried that, if approved, the quarry could open within a few years, rather than in about 15 years as estimated by Boxley officials.

Altavista District Supervisor Stan Goldsmith and other residents also expressed concern that some proffers may not be legally enforceable by the county.

Among those proffers is a proposal that the company would lease 135 acres of its property directly next to the proposed quarry operation to the county for use as a community park. Additionally, the company has proposed as part of a comprehensive groundwater plan that if a resident’s well was determined to be damaged by the quarry, Boxley would pay to drill a new well or a public water connection.

Many residents were upset that the county allows those who file for rezoning or special-use permits to make changes to applications up until the final reading during the last public hearing.

“At what point do we stop aiming at a moving target?” resident Mike Savela asked.

Goldsmith also explained to those at the meeting how the Oct. 6 hearing will work and how the group should organize to ensure their voices are heard and all opinions represented.

Some residents feared that many at the upcoming hearing would not be representing Evington and that interests in other parts of the county and region would supercede those of nearby property owners.

“This is a Campbell County issue. It’s not an outside issue and this is not a regional issue,” said Carlisle West, a fifth-generation Evington resident. “This puts one district of the county against another. Other supervisors need to recognize how their constituents would react if this was happening in their district. Use it as an opportunity to unite Campbell County.”