Washington County delays approval of permit for granite business

FAYETTEVILLE -- Washington County justices of the peace expressed support for a proposed granite counter manufacturing facility Thursday, but failed to generate enough votes to approve a business permit.

The Quorum Court heard an appeal of a permit for Genesis Countertops and Accessories. The Planning Board approved the permit in November but nearby residents appealed the decision to the Quorum Court.

The justices of the peace heard from the planning staff, applicant, supporters of the business and opponents before considering the permit. An ordinance approving the permit was read for the first time Thursday. A motion to suspend the rules and put it on a second reading at Thursday's meeting received nine votes. Three justices of the peace voted against the motion. An ordinance must be read three times before approval. To suspend the rules requires 10 votes so the ordinance will be on the agenda for February's Quorum Court meeting.

The property proposed for the business is about 5 acres on the west side of Habberton Road and north of Guy Terry Road in the northeastern part of Washington County. A building on the property housed the White River Cafe and the new owner, Fredi Valle, plans to use it in the granite manufacturing facility.

Planning staff recommended the project for approval and said the applicant has agreed the work cutting the granite will be done indoors and with no doors or windows open to minimize noise and any potential for silica dust escaping.

About 30 residents of the area attended Thursday's meeting to oppose the permit. The group, mostly from the Bridalwood Estates area, cited concern about the noise, dust and traffic and how it would impact what they described as a quiet rural area.

Don Kephart, president of the Bridalwood property owners association, presented a petition he said was signed by more than 50 people opposing the business. Kephart cited the county's zoning ordinance and said the manufacturing business failed to meet the test of being compatible with surrounding uses.

"Why in the world would we drop a manufacturing business smack dab in the middle of this residential area?" Kephart asked.

Kephart also said the business would use grinding tools reaching 20,000 rpm, which he compared to the engines of a jet aircraft. He said without having a noise study done no one could say the business wouldn't interfere with the homeowner's use and enjoyment of their property, as the county ordinance specifies.

Finally, Kephart said the business would harm the value of the surrounding property.

"Who in their right mind would build or buy a home right next to a manufacturing facility?" he asked. "Please support us and vote no on this CUP [permit]."

Lance Johnson, justice of the peace for District 1 in Springdale and northwestern Washington County, expressed skepticism about the business creating enough noise to disturb the neighbors.

"My office is next door to a granite facility in Springdale," Johnson said. "I wouldn't know they were there if I couldn't see it."

Willie Leming, justice of the peace for District 13 in southwestern Washington County, said having a small, unobtrusive granite countertop facility is a better option for the neighbors than some others that wouldn't require a permit.

"What if they wanted to put in 10 or 20 chicken houses?" Leming said. "That could happen. There's no comparison. What they're trying to put in is not going to hurt a thing."

Washington County is growing fast and county government is working to keep pace with that growth, several countywide elected officials said Thursday in their annual "state of the county" remarks.

Treasurer Bobby Hill said the county's financial condition is "stable" with the 0.5 property tax millage increase approved at the end of 2018 putting the general fund into a positive balance.

"For the first time in a decade, the general fund ended the year better than it started," Hill said.

Hill warned the county will lose some revenue after the 2020 Census is completed, but said growth in other areas should more than offset that decrease.

County Assessor Russell Hill said the county is growing in population, which is driving construction and increasing the value of homes and property in the county. He said personal property values have increased steadily and new construction value topped $1.75 billion over the past three years.

"We're living in a very active, vibrant, growing county here in Washington County," he said.

Several county officials produced numbers to show the increase in other kinds of activity in the county. Kyle Sylvester, circuit court clerk, said there were 10,172 new cases filed in circuit courts in 2019, averaging 41 new cases a day.

"We really don't expect to see a downturn in that," he said.

Prosecutor Matt Durrett said the county is also seeing more felony criminal cases, although the raw numbers from 2018 to 2019 don't reflect that. Durrett said the county changed its process last year and no longer files instances of a person failing to appear for court as a new case.

Durrett said there were 4,076 cases filed in 2018, including 891 cases of failure to appear. In 2019, he said, there were 3,397 new cases.

County Judge Joseph Wood said his office and the department he oversees, including the Road Department, cut their budgets in 2019 by 2%, continuing a three-year trend of reducing expenditures. Wood detailed the activity of the Road Department, including 4 miles of new road construction, 4 miles of new chip and seal paving on dirt roads, and 35 miles of sealing on paved roads. He said the number of calls or reports made to the department doubled from 2018 to 2019.

Wood also praised the work of the county's Department of Emergency Management in researching and developing a plan to replace the county's 15-year-old emergency communications system. A proposal for an $8.5 million emergency communications system, paid for by a temporary 0.25% sales tax, will be on the ballot at the March 3 primary election.

NW News on 01/17/2020