Proposed Asphalt Plant Clears First Hurdle

An Escondido, Calif., businessman who plans to open a small-scale, mobile asphalt plant in the city's industrial zone cleared his first hurdle March 16^th.

George Weir, owner of Escondido Sand & Gravel, an asphalt recycling plant, received approval from the City Council's two-member economic development subcommittee to bypass the Planning Commission and submit plans for his proposed project directly to the council for approval.

Weir's proposed plant would produce 500 tons of asphalt each day on his 1-acre site at 500 N. Tulip St., and amounts to a considerably smaller project than an asphalt plant proposed by Vulcan Materials Co. several years ago.

Weir said that in order to prove the safety and viability of his proposed plant, he has already invested tens of thousands of dollars in environmental studies and permit applications with the county's Air Pollution Control District, a process generally embarked upon only after receiving a conditional-use permit from the city.

Weir said he expects to have all of his environmental approvals in hand by mid-April, when he hopes to go before the City Council.

Normally, requests for permits to operate such an industrial facility must be vetted by the Planning Commission before reaching the City Council, a process that can add several months to a project.

Planning Director Charles Grimm said projects can qualify for expedited processing based on their immediate benefits to the city, and that a local shortage of asphalt would qualify.

He also praised the fact that Weir is willing to invest in the permitting process before bringing the matter to the council.

"I think (Weir) has done more than required (up to this point), and is a model for good business," Abed said.

Since 2001, Weir has operated an asphalt recycling plant in the city. The proposed asphalt plant would include a 40-foot silo and produce around 500 tons of asphalt a day using substantial recycled materials from Sand & Gravel's current operations, Weir told the subcommittee.

Weir's recycling facility, which houses mobile crushing equipment that produces sand, stone and a low-grade asphalt base, won City Council approval in 2001.

Jon Stamatop[oulos, with Escondido Sand, said one big advantage the company has is it is a locally owned and operated facility. Also, since the company will be marketing its material on a local level truck traffic will not be as significant traffic coming from outside the area.

Weir told the subcommittee that he requested the expedited permitting process because he and others in the construction industry consider there to be a shortage of local asphalt.

If approved, Weir's asphalt plant would be one of only two operations in North County, following the closure earlier this year of Los Angeles-based Vulcan Materials Co.'s plant.

Vulcan's closure has cut in half North County's supply of asphalt, which must be shipped and poured within approximately two hours of being mixed. As a result, local contractors increasingly rely on asphalt produced south of Miramar Marine Corps Air Station, resulting in increased transportation costs and contributing to already poor traffic conditions, he said.

In order to make his product more appealing to local markets and less competitive to outlying areas of North County, Weir said he intends to price his asphalt somewhat higher than his competitors.

Those higher prices, he said, would be offset by cheaper transportation costs for Escondido and neighboring markets. North County (California) Times