News
An Oregon-based power company received a special use permit Wednesday night to establish a cement blending facility on Beasley Drive off the Carson Highway in Churchill County.
The Churchill County Planning Commission granted the special use permit to Vulcan Power Company. In its application, the company states the cement blending facility will assist with its geothermal drilling program.
According to the company's Web site, it has a geothermal development project at Salt Wells, south of Fallon. The Nevada Division of Minerals issued a geothermal project area permit to Carson Lake Basin Project, LLV (Vulcan Power Company) on July 26, 2007.
Dennis Shaver, cementing manager for Vulcan Power, said the facility west of Fallon will also serve a Hazen geothermal drilling project. The location near the intersection of the Reno Highway and Carson Highway means the company can truck its dry cement mix to either Hazen or Salt Wells.
One nearby resident, however, was opposed to the special use permit, citing a number of reasons it should be denied.
Doug Hill, a resident of nearby Marshall Drive, claimed the permit application wasn't completed properly and the commission failed to conduct proper research before approving the facility.
"I would have anticipated that since they had trouble with Bango, it would be prudent to look at one of these places rather than just take their word," Hill said.
The properties on Beasley Drive are zoned C-1 commercial, but are surrounded on the north, east and west by industrial zoning. Land across the Carson Highway is zoned A-10 agricultural with 10-acre minimum lots. Nearby are homes located in C-2 zoning.
Hill said the C-1 zoning does not allow for heavy equipment and trucking or chemical storage. He also said the proposed use of the land does not conform with the county's master plan, which shows A-5 zoning in that location. He said the planning commission should respect its own zoning guidelines.
"If you allow this particular use, what's next?" Hill asked.
Vulcan Power representatives told the commission the company signed a lease for the property that morning and assured the panel the operation would be completely contained. The facility will use four silos to store silica sand, cement and bentonite. The dry ingredients will be mixed, transferred via a closed camlock system to enclosed trucks and hauled to the building site, where water will be added to the mixture.
Shaver said he hopes the company will be complete with its geothermal drilling program and have 350 megawatts of power online in three years' time.
Two planning commissioners said they felt the facility wasn't an appropriate use in the C-1 zoning district, but only one, Ronald Simms, voted against the permit.
"It's not a compatible use with C-1 zoning," said Planning Commissioner Tom Lammel. "However, all the land around it is industrial. I don't think C-1 is viable for a strip mall ... maybe a gas station. I think the zoning has pointed this area to be industrial."
Lammel added that CMC Joist and Wheeling Steel on the Reno Highway were more intrusive businesses with forklifts running at night.
"This is a slippery slope the commission is heading down," Hill said. "Allowing this to go on will reverse zone that property."
The permit was approved five to one, with one planning commissioner absent.
Hill said Thursday he was speaking with a lawyer and would appeal the permit.
The Churchill County Planning Commission granted the special use permit to Vulcan Power Company. In its application, the company states the cement blending facility will assist with its geothermal drilling program.
According to the company's Web site, it has a geothermal development project at Salt Wells, south of Fallon. The Nevada Division of Minerals issued a geothermal project area permit to Carson Lake Basin Project, LLV (Vulcan Power Company) on July 26, 2007.
Dennis Shaver, cementing manager for Vulcan Power, said the facility west of Fallon will also serve a Hazen geothermal drilling project. The location near the intersection of the Reno Highway and Carson Highway means the company can truck its dry cement mix to either Hazen or Salt Wells.
One nearby resident, however, was opposed to the special use permit, citing a number of reasons it should be denied.
Doug Hill, a resident of nearby Marshall Drive, claimed the permit application wasn't completed properly and the commission failed to conduct proper research before approving the facility.
"I would have anticipated that since they had trouble with Bango, it would be prudent to look at one of these places rather than just take their word," Hill said.
The properties on Beasley Drive are zoned C-1 commercial, but are surrounded on the north, east and west by industrial zoning. Land across the Carson Highway is zoned A-10 agricultural with 10-acre minimum lots. Nearby are homes located in C-2 zoning.
Hill said the C-1 zoning does not allow for heavy equipment and trucking or chemical storage. He also said the proposed use of the land does not conform with the county's master plan, which shows A-5 zoning in that location. He said the planning commission should respect its own zoning guidelines.
"If you allow this particular use, what's next?" Hill asked.
Vulcan Power representatives told the commission the company signed a lease for the property that morning and assured the panel the operation would be completely contained. The facility will use four silos to store silica sand, cement and bentonite. The dry ingredients will be mixed, transferred via a closed camlock system to enclosed trucks and hauled to the building site, where water will be added to the mixture.
Shaver said he hopes the company will be complete with its geothermal drilling program and have 350 megawatts of power online in three years' time.
Two planning commissioners said they felt the facility wasn't an appropriate use in the C-1 zoning district, but only one, Ronald Simms, voted against the permit.
"It's not a compatible use with C-1 zoning," said Planning Commissioner Tom Lammel. "However, all the land around it is industrial. I don't think C-1 is viable for a strip mall ... maybe a gas station. I think the zoning has pointed this area to be industrial."
Lammel added that CMC Joist and Wheeling Steel on the Reno Highway were more intrusive businesses with forklifts running at night.
"This is a slippery slope the commission is heading down," Hill said. "Allowing this to go on will reverse zone that property."
The permit was approved five to one, with one planning commissioner absent.
Hill said Thursday he was speaking with a lawyer and would appeal the permit.
