Oakridge residents are set to voice renewed concerns at a public hearing before the Lane County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 20 at 1:30 p.m. The agenda: a request to amend the county’s rural comprehensive plan and re‑zone a 107‑acre parcel on TV Butte for a long‑term gravel quarry.
Background of the proposal
Old Hazeldell Quarry LLC, a subsidiary of Crown Properties LLC – the family trust of King Estate Winery’s Ed King – first submitted a quarry application in 2015. The company owns the land where TV Butte rises to nearly 1,800 feet and proposes to blast volcanic andesite rock for 35 to 50 years. The plan calls for extracting roughly 46 acres of the site, which contains an estimated 17 million tons of high‑quality andesite commonly used in construction.
Economic arguments
The application’s financial analysis projects that locally sourced gravel could lower development and infrastructure costs for the Oregon Department of Transportation and Lane County Public Works, eliminating the need to import material. When fully operational, the quarry is expected to generate more than $137,000 per year in state and local tax contributions. At peak production, the operation could produce up to 500,000 tons of gravel annually, requiring about 43 truck trips each day.
Community and environmental concerns
Opponents, including longtime resident Sabrina Ratkowski, argue the quarry threatens Oakridge’s vision of becoming the “mountain‑biking capital of the Pacific Northwest.” They also cite the proximity of a closed municipal landfill – the former Dunning Road Dump – and an alluvial aquifer that supplies drinking water to more than 3,000 residents. State and University of Oregon assessments note the landfill may contain hazardous chemicals such as petroleum compounds, PCBs, solvents, dioxins/furans, heavy metals and possibly pesticides.
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) memo from 2016 states the historic landfill could pose “human and environmental impacts” and recommends testing, which has not yet been performed. An independent environmental assessment prepared by University of Oregon students warns that vibrations from blasting, crushing and heavy equipment could affect landfill stability and that leachate from the site might eventually flow into Salmon Creek, the river and the aquifer that feeds Oakridge’s water supply.
What the hearing will consider
Commissioners will decide whether to change the zoning from non‑impacted forest land to impacted forest land and whether to allow the quarry to proceed. The decision will likely be appealed, as past proposals have faced repeated votes, appeals and delays since 2015.
Local response
Community members have organized multiple trips to the hearing, emphasizing both the potential economic boost and the need for rigorous environmental safeguards. The quarry application includes a commitment to “minimize potential conflicts using reasonable and practicable measures” in accordance with Oregon law.
Lookout Eugene‑Springfield reached out to Bill Kloos, a land‑use attorney listed as an agent for the project, but received no response. As the hearing approaches, Oakridge residents and business leaders alike are preparing to make their case before the commissioners, hoping the outcome will balance economic opportunity with the protection of the town’s water resources and natural beauty.
Original reporting: Homepage – Lookout Eugene-Springfield — read the source article.
