Yadkin County denies rezoning request for rock quarry

A proposed rock quarry in Yadkin County will not take place. The local board of commissioners recently voted to deny a rezoning request that would have paved the way for the project to move forward.

Residents in the rural Hamptonville community worried about traffic, noise, property values, and well water quality near the proposed site. The more than 400-acre tract of land also sits near an elementary school. A group called Yadkin Concerned Citizens reached out to environmental leaders and other organizations for help with their grassroots effort.

In June, the county's planning board approved recommending the rezoning change. But this past week, the Yadkin County Board of Commissioners voted to deny the rezoning request.

Danny Steelman of Hamptonville owns a farm that borders the land where the mine would sit. He says he's relieved.

"It's like David and Goliath when you get into something like this," says Steelman. "And so we are just ecstatic about it, we just can't believe that it happened.”

The company, Three Oaks Quarry, argued that the rock mine fits in with the county's land use plan, would bring good-paying jobs, and provide a local source for businesses that need construction materials.

The company's attorney, Tom Terrell, says Three Oaks made changes to the site and operations plan, and offered numerous conditions to address any community concerns.

Follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news