Quarry Rep Talks to Area Residents

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Company used alternate name to buy land

Hendersonville Star News

By Sherry Mitchell

July 1, 2011

The entity that recently purchased more than 300 acres in Castalian Springs, Western Farm Products LLC, never existed prior to the real estate transaction and was established to disguise the fact that the actual owner, Hoover Inc., intended to use the land for a rock quarry, representatives said last week.

Tom White, attorney for Hoover, addressed a standing-room only room of residents about his client's plans to build a rock quarry, rock-crushing plant, a quarry spoils area and an asphalt and concrete plant abutting Corum Hill Road in Castalian Springs. White said a company using a different name was normal business procedure for businesses such as theirs to ensure the deals go through.

“I’m sure that’s part of the reason, and I wouldn’t criticize my client for doing that,” White said. “No one is going to come into a community to put in an industry like that and identify who they are.”

County officials said regardless of whether the practice is common, it is misleading to residents.

“It is kind of unfair when the people don’t know from the beginning what’s going on,” Com. David Satterfield said.

White also said his client had performed core drilling before signing off on the property.

“My client tested the property and was convinced there was excellent stone under there,” White said.

When a resident asked how his client gained access for core drilling without notifying the property owners, White said the seller would need to answer that.

“My client had a closing contract, and they went on the property with no apologies and drilled,” White said.

One of the sellers, Clay Haynes, was present at the meeting and said his family was never approached the testing.

“We never knew about any of the core drilling,” Haynes said.

However, White said later in the meeting that no core drilling had been performed.

Residents fear destruction of area's history

White also told residents a traffic study had been performed that showed that Highway 25 could handle the additional trucks generated by the proposed plants, but that study, he said, would not be made public.

Although not required by law, White said his client had agreed to a pre-blast survey of all structures within 1,000 feet of the quarry’s pit and within 2,000 feet of all historical structures, such as Wynnewood. Hours of operation would be Monday through Friday 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 6:30 a.m. to noon, but White said he could not say how often blasting would occur.

Com. Steve Graves, who also represents the board of Bethpage-Castalian Springs Utility District, said the land purchase shows a lack of concern for residents, who could lose water services as a result of the blasting.

“Evidently, you don’t know there are public water lines on that property,” Graves said. “I don’t understand why the utility company was not contacted. I want some answers as to what you are going to do to prevent these water lines from failing.”

Gallatin attorney and fifth-generation resident Tom Boyers lives in Castalian Springs and said he believed that the proposed plants would destroy the area’s historical value.

“The whole state started in Castalian Springs,” Boyers said. “The first white man to spend a winter in this area, spent it here. Wynnewood is the oldest log home residence in the state of Tennessee and the state just approved $5 million to rebuild it. Why in the world would any company want to come in and dig and blast in the place where our state began and dig up our heritage?”

In addition, Graves said at least two cemeteries are located on the property as well as American Indian mounds or graves and added that an archeological study of the acreage would need to be performed.

Gallatin attorney David Amonette was retained by a group of residents who oppose the quarry, just hours before the meeting Thursday. Amonette asked if Hoover had started any of the permiting processes with the state neccessary to have a quarry, and White stated that his client had not.

The matter will be brought before the Sumner County Board of Zoning and Appeals on July 14 at 6 p.m. to decide whether Hoover should be allowed a zoning change. The property is currently zoned for low-density residential and does not allow for structures that are incompatible with residential use.