Zoning Board Okays Tire Recycling Plant

Although a couple of dozen residents showed up at the Lake County Government Center in Indiana to oppose a proposed tire recycling plant south of Lowell, the Board of Zoning Appeals gave the project a green light with a 4-2 vote, but with stipulations.

The Board of Zoning Appeals granted Northern Indiana Materials Corp. a favorable recommendation for a use variance to build the facility, as well as a concrete plant at the site in West Creek Township, Ind. The favorable recommendation now will go to the Lake County Council, which will have the final vote.

Stipulations require that the facility must operate only from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and process no more than 30,000 tires per week. Owner Bill Critser must abide by his site plan, including remaining within his proposed dimensions. The plant must comply with Indiana Administrative Code, and no entrance may be made to the facility along 205th Avenue, where many residents' driveways are located.

A dust plan must be implemented for both the tire plant and the concrete plant.

In addition to 10-foot berms between the facility and U.S. 41, the BZA required two additional 10-foot berms to the north and south of the plants.

The stipulations also state that approval does not include an asphalt plant.

Rick Niemeyer, West Creek Township trustee/assessor, argued that residents should be allowed to speak Wednesday, but Lake County Planning Director Ned Kovachevich said the public hearing had been closed after residents spoke at last month's meeting, when the issue was tabled.

The BZA at that time had deferred the matter for 30 days so that board members could investigate the operations of a tire recycling facility before taking a vote.

Residents had opposed the proposed plants, arguing that they could create air, noise and water pollution, as well as increased truck traffic.

The plants, if approved by the County Council, will be complementary facilities to Northern Indiana Materials, an adjacent limestone quarry, in the production of road construction materials. The quarry is located in a conditional development district zone surrounded by agricultural land and scattered residences.

Residents had opposed the quarry and a now-defunct adjacent quarry about a dozen years ago when the property was rezoned in order to create the quarries out of farmland.

Board member Dennis Miller said he visited a tire recycling plant after last month's meeting out of concern for residents who would have to live near it.

"I was amazed at how small it was," Miller said. "It would fit into this room four times. It's small, not loud, with no infiltration of anything into the ground. You will never see that unit, and you'll never hear it," he told residents.

"We have rezoning in so many aspects in America, and it's here to stay," board member Stan Lukasik said. "As far as tires, it's something new to this area, yes," he said.

Lukasik said the shredded tires from the plant would not affect groundwater.

A Northern Indiana Materials representative said the tires are not toxic unless burned, adding that provisions for water to put out tire fires and to remove the resulting wastewater are required by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.

Board member Alan Kaiser, who voted against the approval argued that the land is not zoned for the plants.

"It's an agricultural area, and I really think it should stay that way," he said.

Member Bill Lain also voted against the approval.

"This is not something that's needed," Niemeyer said. "This board is missing the point, which is, should it be located here in an agricultural zone.

"Everybody's got a good point," Niemeyer said. "We need to do something with these tires. The question is whether this is a good place for this plant to be."

"That was the position of the planning staff," Kovachevich said. Munster (Indiana) Times