Marshall town board OKs resolution opposing asphalt plant

MARSHALL - A crowd of roughly a hundred opponents of a proposed asphalt plant in Madison County cheer as a resolution opposing the facility passes in a town meeting.

The resolution, approved Monday night by the Marshall's Board of Alderman with a unanimous vote, outlines a list of reasons the proposed plant could detrimentally impact the beauty, livability and financial prosperity of the town.

RELATED: Asphalt plant draws crowd to county board meeting

► Opposition building to asphalt plant

The asphalt plant, a project proposed by French Broad Paving, would occupy a space at the McCrary Stone Service Quarry,  outside of city limits but just over a mile from downtown Marshall.

The fate of the plant is not yet sealed, however. According to Mayor Jack Wallin, the permit proposal will head to the Madison County Zoning Board of Adjusters, where a quasi-judicial hearing will decide whether or not the permit gains approval sometime next month.

Wallin and town attorney Jamie Stokes made clear that the resolution was a largely symbolic gesture, as the proposed plant falls outside of Marshall town limits and the final decision lands on the shoulders of the county board.

"This is a resolution that shows that the town board is in opposition to this plant to the county commissioners," Wallin said.

What is the resolution's impact?

Ellen Pearson, a Marshall resident and co-author of the resolution, said that even if the town board does not have the final say on the plant's construction, they could still impact the decision of the county board.

"We know you don't have power to say no, but you have authority," Pearson said while addressing the town board. "We are asking you to use this authority to pass a resolution."

Pearson said this type of decision has precedence in the town of Marshall; in 2006, a very similar resolution opposed another asphalt plant.

"Essentially what you would be doing would be holding up the precedent set by the 2006 resolution, which was never rescinded," Pearson said. "Time is of the essence here as the Board of Adjusters will meet in the coming months to decide on this conditional use permit."

The resolution cites the Marshall Comprehensive Land Use Plan, adopted in 2009, as a list of standards for the use of land and its effects on the quality of life of Marshall residents, as the basis for its core justification.

"The Marshall Plan stresses the vision of preserving Marshall as a 'beautiful and tranquil setting in which to live, work, and recreate for every generation,'" the resolution reads. "There is a certain amount of unpleasant odor and risk of toxic pollution to the air and water as well as noise associated with the operation of an asphalt plant. We are concerned that permitting a plant to be constructed and operated at the proposed location could adversely affect the health or safety of persons residing or working in the neighborhood."

Downtown Marshall group shares opposition

John Davis, a board member of the Downtown Marshall Association and owner of the Marshall House Inn, read a letter from the association stating that "the proposed plant puts more jobs at stake than it creates."

Incorporated in 2009, the Downtown Marshall Association has 59 members consisting of businesses located in and near the town's center.

"Over the past decade about a dozen vacant and rundown buildings have been purchased and renovated," Davis said. "That infusion of capital might not have happened given the possibility of a potentially damaging business within 2 miles of downtown."

Unlike the Madison County Board of Commissioners meeting on Feb. 12, which saw hundreds of attendants from both sides of the debate, the crowd at the town board meeting was largely in opposition of the plant, with no apparent supporters present.

Marshall resident Carolyn Bradley spoke during the public comment section of the meeting about how important the community in the town of Marshall was to her. Bradley grew up in Marshall and recently moved back to the county after retiring from teaching in Georgia.

"We want to preserve the beauty of this community in Marshall and Madison County," Bradley said. "Tonight I saw so many people standing up for that. It makes me feel excited to be living here again."