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Dear Editor:
I enjoyed reading the article regarding the construction of a gravel pit at Potter’s Bridge Woods and Beaver Material’s “gift” of 10 acres and a recreational “lake” to the community of Noblesville; however, as with most “gifts” no matter how beautiful the package you really don’t know what is inside until you open it.
What the article is not saying is that the construction of a gravel pit at this location will present the following issues for our community.
Silt, sand and “fugitive” dust particles from the destruction of cover vegetation and the digging that can travel over two miles (wind studies have been done) thereby affecting our downtown shopping and tourist business, several of our local schools and the 6,500 students, numerous teachers working, administrators and support staff. This would include two private schools within this radius, Legacy and Our Lady of Grace School. Sand and silt are known causes of lung disease especially silicosis. Do we really want to adversely affect air quality for our community and especially for our children by accepting this “gift”?
How will we continue to promote tourism in our downtown area with silt and noise from the gravel pit overwhelming our visitors and residents while they shop?
I have read that Mr. Beaver assures us that the gravel pit hours of operation will be 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, but does that include loading the trucks, unloading the trucks, cleaning the trucks, maintenance? Sixty-ton tri-axle dump trucks are very heavy and very expensive vehicles and they only make money if they are moving, so I contend that activities aside from hauling gravel are most profitably done before and after normal hours of operation and those activities can involve the same noise levels as moving tri-axle trucks. So, will the noise start at 6 a.m., 5 a.m.? Will it go to 8 p.m.? We don’t know until we are there.
Speaking of the noise, extra heavy tri-axle dump trucks generate sufficient noise that in an industrial workplace, OSHA law would require hearing protection. I walk Potters Woods daily and can hear the dump trucks at the River Road gravel pit and those on S.R. 37 – more than three miles way. How much worse for the walkers/joggers/bikers/children walking Potters Woods trail right behind the proposed gravel pit? There will be no bird sounds, no quiet river sounds, only the sound of 60-ton tri-axle dump trucks starting, stopping, loading and unloading!
That doesn’t even address the constant ambient noise for the homeowners (some 400+) of them living near the gravel pit, Fairfield Farms, Potters Woods, Allison Trails and everyone up and down Allisonville Road in both directions, those living on Field Drive (the proposed route for Mr. Beaver’s new pit), S.R. 19 on so forth.
Extra heavy tri-axle trucks damage roads. Is Beaver Materials going to pay for the repairs (his gravel pit as proposed will be active for 10 years unless his contract allows for longer) to Noblesville roads or will we as tax payers have to foot that bill?
Lastly, let’s talk about the degradation of the land, loss of wildlife habitat and the wildlife that occupies it now including our resident pair of nesting American Bald Eagles who hunt the White River corridor, potential contamination of White River waterway, potential contamination of underground water supplies, especially for those residents with well systems, total devastation of the flora and fauna so beautiful at this park and trail. Then the damage from fugitive dust to historic Potters Bridge, 150-year-old treasure and one of the last covered bridges in the state.
Will Beaver Materials replant the barren and lifeless land they will leave after 10 years of digging or will we as taxpayers also be billed to clean up this environmental mess? Anyone who wants to witness the environmental devastation of a gravel pit or quarry can view the Beaver Materials operation on River Road for a first-hand experience and then understand truly what will happen at beautiful Potter Bridge park if this re-zoning is allowed.
Finally, to the City fathers I say, “What about the residents who trusted City zoning laws to protect their most significant investment, their homes?” What do you have to say to them and how will they be compensated for the significant decrease in their home values if this gravel pit is allowed to be built at Potters Bridge?
I say this is no “gift” but a liability to the residents and visitors of Noblesville. The 30-acre “lake” will not be a lake and not be available for at least 10 years. Let us stop trying to dress it up and call it what it is, not a lake but a gravel pit with all the inherent dangers of a gravel pit, steep sides, unstable ground, very cold water (which if it seeps into White River can kill native fish, producing another massive fish kill on White River), and a serious attractive nuisance hazard for our children.
Craig C. Wind
Noblesville
They did the same thing on State Road 37 North right before strawtown all these beautiful homes that had been built along that road and now there’s a gravel pit bordering them and it’s directly across the street from property that I own with multiple units on it. And there’s also other businesses on 37 that are now directly across from the opening where those large trucks roll in and out day and night all day long hair and the road up slinging dust everywhere holding up traffic. It’s a simple nightmare.