Those who criticize the plan to put a biodiesel plant on Snow Creek Road do not mean to offend anyone, certainly not the farmers. We continue to value and respect these hard-working individuals. Many times they are at the mercy of the weather and are never assured a consistent paycheck or a very big one, for that matter.
Not everyone can be a farmer. It takes a strong and patient person to work in the fields from sun up to sundown. We wish the farmers well. We hope the promise of dollars from biodiesel will come to fruition.
We understand why they would be excited about growing crops for a new source of energy.
Our only objection is the proposed location of the biodiesel plant. If the site was in an area already approved for industry, we would wish them much success. The rural neighborhood they have chosen is entirely unsuited for this plant and that is our issue. The fact is that they will not consider another site.
It does not make sense to build a chemical plant in a residential neighborhood. We are very concerned about tanker trucks whizzing up and down the road right along with school buses and teenage drivers. Snow Creek Road is not wide enough to allow for a margin of error and we can only hope that an accident won’t happen. More heavy truck traffic on this road will add to this possibility. We are trying to protect all who travel this area.
Iredell Neighbors for Rural Life strive for justice and a peaceful way of life.
Jane Reavis
Statesville
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Plant cuts property values
Bryan and Sheree Leach’s home was a shell when they purchased it in 2005.
Bryan Leach said they had walls, but there was no kitchen, the roof leaked and it needed new insulation.
But the couple had fallen in love with 1904 farmhouse on Snow Creek Road over the Internet, so for nearly three years, Bryan Leach worked at his job at MACTEC Development Corp. in Atlanta and came to Statesville on the weekends to work on his home.
For the full story, click here.
Bryan Leach said they had walls, but there was no kitchen, the roof leaked and it needed new insulation.
But the couple had fallen in love with 1904 farmhouse on Snow Creek Road over the Internet, so for nearly three years, Bryan Leach worked at his job at MACTEC Development Corp. in Atlanta and came to Statesville on the weekends to work on his home.
For the full story, click here.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Timeline
Jan. 29, 2007
Phil McLain files a rezoning request with the Iredell County Planning Department.
March 7
Planning Board unanimously approved the McLains plans to rezone the property for a biodiesel plant.
July 24
Original public hearing date for the Board of Commissioners. Commissioners voted to postpone until Aug. 7.
Aug. 7
Iredell County Board of Commissioners voted 4 to 1 to rezone 8-acres of McLain Farms off of Snow Creek Road from single-family residential to manufacturing.
Aug. 21
In a 4-to-1 vote, commissioners approved four findings of fact to support their rezoning decision.
Aug. 25
Two storage tanks at Foothills Bio-Energies LLC in Lenoir catch fire. The fire is still under investigation.
Sept. 5
North Iredell Neighbors for Rural Life and 23 other plaintiffs file a civil complaint and petition against the McLains, county commissioners and the county.
Sept. 10
Iredell Neighbors for Rural Life accept a check for $1,250 from Rowan - Iredell Citizens for a Clean Environment.
Phil McLain files a rezoning request with the Iredell County Planning Department.
March 7
Planning Board unanimously approved the McLains plans to rezone the property for a biodiesel plant.
July 24
Original public hearing date for the Board of Commissioners. Commissioners voted to postpone until Aug. 7.
Aug. 7
Iredell County Board of Commissioners voted 4 to 1 to rezone 8-acres of McLain Farms off of Snow Creek Road from single-family residential to manufacturing.
Aug. 21
In a 4-to-1 vote, commissioners approved four findings of fact to support their rezoning decision.
Aug. 25
Two storage tanks at Foothills Bio-Energies LLC in Lenoir catch fire. The fire is still under investigation.
Sept. 5
North Iredell Neighbors for Rural Life and 23 other plaintiffs file a civil complaint and petition against the McLains, county commissioners and the county.
Sept. 10
Iredell Neighbors for Rural Life accept a check for $1,250 from Rowan - Iredell Citizens for a Clean Environment.
Phil McLain responds
Both the McLain family and Iredell County officials were served with copies of the civil complaint and petition filed by local residents.
Snow Creek resident Randy Bridges said Iredell Neighbors for Rural Life — formerly North Iredell Neighbors for Rural Life — received notification that all of the defendants in the civil case have been served.
The civil case was filed in Iredell County Superior Court on Sept. 5 against McLain Farms, the county and the Board of Commissioners.
The court documents ask the court to reverse the Aug. 7 decision to rezone eight acres on Snow Creek Road from single-family residential to heavy manufacturing for a biodiesel plant.
Phil McLain, who manages the farm with his brother Michael, said his family looks forward to the outcome of the case, but they are not going to litigate it in the news media.
“We are not surprised that they done this,” he said. “They threatened that even before the county commissioners’ decision.”McLain believes the county has a good case because commissioners listened to the facts and the experts.
“I’m afraid that the neighbors and the newspaper have not gotten all the facts,” he said. “I am disappointed in my neighbors. I hope they have all considered any repercussions if this case doesn’t come out the way they wanted it to. I don’t want them to be hurt financially because of this.”
County attorney Bill Pope said he knows the county has received the papers, but he hasn’t actually seen the documents.
He expects to look over them in the next couple of days and then formulate the county’s response.
The complaint filed against the county, commissioners and the McLains accuse the county and the commissioners of not following the proper rezoning laws and procedures when the commissioners voted to change the area’s designation.
Pope oversees many of the judicial zoning hearings by administering the oath to witnesses, and helps to enter items into evidence. He was present on Aug. 7, when the board approved the rezoning request.
“I am unaware of any improprieties,” he said.
Iredell County pays Pope a retainer of $1,400 a month, plus legal fees for work done, said Debra Alford, the county’s assistant finance director.
Snow Creek resident Randy Bridges said Iredell Neighbors for Rural Life — formerly North Iredell Neighbors for Rural Life — received notification that all of the defendants in the civil case have been served.
The civil case was filed in Iredell County Superior Court on Sept. 5 against McLain Farms, the county and the Board of Commissioners.
The court documents ask the court to reverse the Aug. 7 decision to rezone eight acres on Snow Creek Road from single-family residential to heavy manufacturing for a biodiesel plant.
Phil McLain, who manages the farm with his brother Michael, said his family looks forward to the outcome of the case, but they are not going to litigate it in the news media.
“We are not surprised that they done this,” he said. “They threatened that even before the county commissioners’ decision.”McLain believes the county has a good case because commissioners listened to the facts and the experts.
“I’m afraid that the neighbors and the newspaper have not gotten all the facts,” he said. “I am disappointed in my neighbors. I hope they have all considered any repercussions if this case doesn’t come out the way they wanted it to. I don’t want them to be hurt financially because of this.”
County attorney Bill Pope said he knows the county has received the papers, but he hasn’t actually seen the documents.
He expects to look over them in the next couple of days and then formulate the county’s response.
The complaint filed against the county, commissioners and the McLains accuse the county and the commissioners of not following the proper rezoning laws and procedures when the commissioners voted to change the area’s designation.
Pope oversees many of the judicial zoning hearings by administering the oath to witnesses, and helps to enter items into evidence. He was present on Aug. 7, when the board approved the rezoning request.
“I am unaware of any improprieties,” he said.
Iredell County pays Pope a retainer of $1,400 a month, plus legal fees for work done, said Debra Alford, the county’s assistant finance director.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Letter to the Editor: Robert Taylor
I have been a resident of Snow Creek Road for 27 years. This is home to my family.
We have good neighbors and friends in our community. I hope that I don’t have an enemy with Phil McLain because we disagree with the location of a biodiesel plant. In all honesty, it is a chemical plant.
I think Steve Johnson, our elected county commissioner, insulted all the Snow Creek residents with his comment in the R&L.
Mr. Johnson said if we didn’t like the smell of the honey truck, we the Snow Creek neighbors could just move back to town. What a wonderful solution to our problems on Snow Creek Road, from our elected county commissioner.
Does Mr. Johnson think that money issues are on the same level as the safety of our families and children?
Is Mr. Johnson not concerned with the devaluation of our property, and our community?
My question to Mr. Johnson is this: if this chemical plant was going into your neighborhood, would you have voted for it? I think you would have fought the location of the plant, as hard as our neighborhood is fighting against it right now.
Commissioners Johnson, Marvin Norman, Godfrey Williams and Kenneth Robertson all voted for something they really have no knowledge of. Or they just don’t care what dangers or effect it might have on our neighborhood.
These men were elected by Iredell County citizens to represent Iredell citizens. They have failed at their jobs probably because they did not represent the Snow Creek community at all.
I don’t know what the outcome of all of this will be.
I just know that in any coming elections for county commissioners there will be three votes against the four of you from my household.
Robert Taylor
Statesville
We have good neighbors and friends in our community. I hope that I don’t have an enemy with Phil McLain because we disagree with the location of a biodiesel plant. In all honesty, it is a chemical plant.
I think Steve Johnson, our elected county commissioner, insulted all the Snow Creek residents with his comment in the R&L.
Mr. Johnson said if we didn’t like the smell of the honey truck, we the Snow Creek neighbors could just move back to town. What a wonderful solution to our problems on Snow Creek Road, from our elected county commissioner.
Does Mr. Johnson think that money issues are on the same level as the safety of our families and children?
Is Mr. Johnson not concerned with the devaluation of our property, and our community?
My question to Mr. Johnson is this: if this chemical plant was going into your neighborhood, would you have voted for it? I think you would have fought the location of the plant, as hard as our neighborhood is fighting against it right now.
Commissioners Johnson, Marvin Norman, Godfrey Williams and Kenneth Robertson all voted for something they really have no knowledge of. Or they just don’t care what dangers or effect it might have on our neighborhood.
These men were elected by Iredell County citizens to represent Iredell citizens. They have failed at their jobs probably because they did not represent the Snow Creek community at all.
I don’t know what the outcome of all of this will be.
I just know that in any coming elections for county commissioners there will be three votes against the four of you from my household.
Robert Taylor
Statesville
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
RICCE supports plant opponents
North Iredell Neighbors for Rural Life received $1,250 from the Rowan-Iredell Citizens for a Clean Environment Monday night to help with legal expenses.
The North Iredell organization filed a civil complain and petition against Iredell County, the Board of Commissioners and the owners of McLain Farms to halt construction on the biodiesel plan and reverse commissioners' decision to rezone eight acres.
RICCE board member Mike Overcash said Snow Creek residents are facing the same problem it did in 1990 when it fought the state over the placement of an incinerator.
Overcash said the money was left over from $500,000 raised for that earlier battle.
The North Iredell organization filed a civil complain and petition against Iredell County, the Board of Commissioners and the owners of McLain Farms to halt construction on the biodiesel plan and reverse commissioners' decision to rezone eight acres.
RICCE board member Mike Overcash said Snow Creek residents are facing the same problem it did in 1990 when it fought the state over the placement of an incinerator.
Overcash said the money was left over from $500,000 raised for that earlier battle.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Interactive: Neighbors voice concerns
Click here for a map of Snow Creek Road and the neighbors affected by the rezoning.
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