One year later

A year ago, many Snow Creek Road residents weren’t as knowledgeable about glycerin and methanol as they are today.

For the full story, click here

County spends close to $10K in defense

Iredell County has spent an estimated $9,855.60 to defend itself against the lawsuit brought on by the Iredell Neighbors for Rural Life.

That is equivalent to the county property taxes for 22 homes valued at $100,000 each.

Biodiesel plant foes hope for injunction

Iredell Neighbors for Rural Life are seeking an injunction to stop construction of the proposed biodiesel plant off of Snow Creek Road until its appeal is finalized.

For the full story, click here.

Opponents poll voters

In order to keep the controversial biodiesel plant rezoning fresh in people’s minds, opponents commissioned a phone survey, which found nearly a 2-to-1 majority opposed the Snow Creek Road project.

For the full story, click here.

Biodiesel plant opponents appeal ruling

Iredell Neighbors for Rural Life are appealing Iredell County Superior Court Judge Kimberly Taylor’s decision to allow McLain Farms to operate a limited biodiesel plant on Snow Creek Road.

For the full story, click here.

Letter to the Editor: Sam G. Hall

A group of 23 people claims to represent the best interests of all. They call themselves Iredell Neighbors for Rural Life.

Let’s make one thing clear: This group does not represent the farmers of Iredell County, nor do they speak for all of the families on the Snow Creek Road.

To read the full letter, click here.

Letter to the Editor: Randy Bridges

Regarding the proposed biodiesel plant, it is interesting that in Sunday's paper the editorial called for Iredell Neighbors for Rural Life to give up our fight. Phil McLain states that his family will "be good neighbors once we get it up and going." How about being good neighbors now and moving the plant to an industrial park, where such a facility belongs?

Judge Kimberly Taylor's ruling means anyone in Iredell County with a few acres can build a 500,000-gallon biodiesel plant, with no approval needed from the planning department, the planning board or the county commission. There are probably hundreds of nice housing developments in Iredell County bounded by now-suitable tracts for a biodiesel plant, including many upscale neighborhoods. Do the families that live there want a biodiesel plant or some other industrial operation next door?

Wake up, fellow citizens of Iredell. Our fight is your fight.

Randy Bridges
member of Iredell Neighbors for Rural Life

Editorial: Biodiesel opponents should accept ruling

After being dealt a major setback in their effort to derail a proposed biodiesel plan on Snow Creek Road, Iredell Neighbors for Rural Life and the individual plaintiffs have two choices.

To read the full editorial, click here.

Letter to the Editor: Fred Coggins

County commissioners put this area of Iredell County in a ridiculous situation with this biodiesel plant mess. If the commissioners had done what the overwhelming number of people in this area wanted, we wouldn’t have this situation.

Every meeting the commissioners had, the majority of people said no to the zoning. It is another example of:

• A waste of time and tax money for lawyers to defend their position;
• Commissioners working against the people that put them in office;
• Commissioners not looking closely at what would happen if they get their way; and
• Commissioners who could have spent time on more important matters.

It is time for change and to put people in there who will work for the voters of Iredell County. I don’t see how anybody could put back in office the present set of commissioners.

I am against letting them put a biodiesel plant on this farm. Give me a break. Wake up people.

Fred Coggins
Mooresville

Hearing underway

4:52 p.m.: Judge Taylor asked attorneys to take and rebind their submitted papers. She said she will then go over everything and render her decision. The process, Taylor said, will probably take a couple of weeks.

4:31 p.m.: County attorney Bill Pope said the Iredell Neighbors don't have legal standing to sue because they can't prove the Snow Creek Road plant would harm them. The plaintiffs' attorney, Anthony Fox, responded that the group could as an unincorporated nonprofit. The residents have standing, he said, because they live nearby.

4:05 p.m.: Taylor is listening to arguments from attorneys on whether biodiesel production is a bona fide farm use.

3:02 p.m.: Phil and Mike McLain are now present.

2:35 p.m.: The hearing has been pushed to 3 p.m.

2:20 p.m.: County manager Joel Mashburn arrived. The hearing hasn't officially started yet.

2:02 p.m.: Ten of the Iredell Neighbors are in the courtroom. Judge Kim Taylor is presiding.

Hearing today to settle Snow Creek Road debate

The hearing for the lawsuit filed by the Iredell Neighbors for Rural Life against Iredell County and the McLain Family has been set for 2 p.m. this afternoon.

This morning, four of the 24 plaintiffs named in the case were present when the judge set the time. County officials and the McLain family were not present in the courtroom.

Check back this afternoon for more from the hearing, brought to you by R&L reporter Bethany Fuller.

Editorial: Their day in court

Opponents of a biodiesel plant will get the first of what they hope are many days in court Monday.

County officials hope it will be the one and only appearance and that a judge will toss out their lawsuit.

For the full editorial, click here.

Lawsuit on docket for Monday

The outcome of a lawsuit challenging the legality of a Snow Creek Road biodiesel plant could be decided in court Monday.

For the full story, click here.

County commission passes EVAD ordinance

Iredell County commissioners received a round of applause Tuesday night after they unanimously approved the passage of the Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural Districts Ordinance.

For the full story, click here.

Neighbors group can't sue

A community group can raise money for its members to sue Iredell County and the McLain family over a proposed biodiesel plant site, but the group can’t be a plaintiff in the lawsuit, a University of North Carolina Chapel Hill law professor said.

If Iredell Neighbors for Rural Life, which is one of 24 plaintiffs in the lawsuit, is not registered with the N.C. Secretary of State’s Office, it has no legal standing, UNC Professor Tom Hazen said. The remaining plaintiffs in the lawsuit to reverse the Iredell County commissioner’s Aug. 7 decision to rezone 7.88 acres of land from single family residential to heavy manufacturing to accommodate the plant are individuals.

For the full story, click here.

Editorial: Is there another way?

Watching the give and take, back and forth, and attack and counter-attack between opponents of a proposed biodiesel plant, opponents of the opponents, and the Iredell County government, which approved a request to rezone farmland for the controversial plant, is starting to get interesting, boring or exciting, depending on your viewpoint.

It’s interesting to those of us who love local politics.It’s boring to those who don’t have a dog in the fight and those who have no plans on living anywhere McLain Farms, although it shouldn’t be. (Your neighborhood could be next.)

And it’s exciting, we suppose, to the lawyers who will benefit financially as the lawsuit filed by Iredell Neighbors for Rural Life and 23 other plaintiffs against the county, county commissioners and the McLain family winds its way through Iredell Superior Court.

Based on their response to the lawsuit, county officials have made it clear that they will not be intimidated by the accusations and demands of the plaintiffs. While the county may have made some procedural missteps in actions leading up to the rezoning approval, the county’s position is that the rezoning was lawful and proper.

The county’s legal fees will mount and, if county attorney Bill Pope is successful in his effort to have the lawsuit dismissed, the plaintiffs should be prepared to pay the county’s legal expenses.

Based on his assertion that the Iredell Neighbors for Rural Life exists in name only, Pope won’t be asking the Neighbors to pay up. He’ll be asking the other plaintiffs to pick up the tab.

While it might not be as exciting or entertaining, now would be a good time for all of the parties involved to take another stab at resolving this matter with a compromise that everyone can live with.

Emotions run high at meeting

People on both sides of the fray over a proposed Snow Creek Road biodiesel plant got emotional Monday night as they discussed the proposal and the tactics of a citizens’ group working to prevent it from being built.

For the full story, click here.

VIDEO: farmers meeting

Video by Bethany Fuller

County attorney: Neighbors can't sue

Iredell Neighbors for Rural Life has no legal standing to sue Iredell County and McLain Farms over a proposed biodiesel plant because the citizens group does not officially exist, the county’s attorney argues in court documents.

County attorney William Pope filed a response in Iredell Superior Court last week to the lawsuit filed by Iredell Neighbors for Rural Life and 23 other plaintiffs against the McLain family, Iredell County and the Board of Commissioners.

For the full story, click here.

Farmers seek protections, benefits

As new residential and commercial developments consume more open land in Iredell County each year, some local farmers are looking for new ways to protect and preserve their livelihood.

Placing their land in Voluntary Agricultural Districts is an option more farmers are choosing. Now, county commissioners are considering an ordinance that would create Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural Districts to give farmers even more protection and benefits.

For the full story, click here.