Proposed Quarry Project In Granby Meets Resistance From Residents

The Granby Planning and Zoning Commission held its meeting in front of a room filled with concerned residents Tuesday night as a possible excavation site in between Peck Orchard Road and Granville Road, close to Hartland, was discussed.

Residents from both Granby and Hartland shared their concerns about the project and the special permit requested for it, with members of the public speaking at the meeting focusing on increased truck traffic, noise pollution, general disruption of the neighborhood’s rural character and lowered property values. Another concern is whether the project, which is in a residential area, is appropriate considering the character of the neighborhood.

Family members Daniel, Michael and David Girard own the property, located at 329 Granville Road with proposed access from Peck Orchard Road. Michael Girard is the listed contractor for the project, through the family business Simscroft-Echo Farms, located in Simsbury. The proposal for the 7-plus acres of excavation involves removing topsoil, extracting hundreds of thousands of cubic yards of gravel on the property, then screening and crushing the product and shipping it out in trucks.

Project engineer Tom Grimaldi said the developers are committed to maintaining buffer zones between the project site and the neighborhood around it.

“The 80-foot buffer [facing Peck Orchard Road] will stay entirely intact,” Grimaldi said. “You can drive by and the only thing you’ll notice is an access road.

The plan, which will initially span two years if given a permit, also calls for limited on-site gravel crushing, taking place in late fall, winter or early spring when area residents have their windows closed. The planned hours of operation are from 7 a.m. Monday through Friday, with no work on weekends or holidays. The planners also pledged to sweep the road, maintain a water truck at the property and refuel the carrier trucks, estimated at less than five per hour, on-site.

The public hearing for the project began Tuesday, but will be continued because of some last-minute changes recommended by town officials during a walkthrough of the property and concerns presented by residents present at the meeting.

Ken Slater, an attorney for two families who live near the site, said that this is the first time that a special permit for excavation has been given in a residential zone when the end result is the mining of an area. While the developers would ideally create a small subdivision on the property after excavation and topsoil replacement has been completed, that idea is not part of the official plan.

Slater asked that the planning and zoning board members “take the context” of the situation into account and note that special permits “vary from place to place.”

Chris Levandowski of 34 Peck Orchard Road said her home is directly opposite the ridge that will be mined. She summed up her position on the proposal succinctly.

“We are vehemently opposed to this proposal,” she said. “We do not view this as a residential application.”

Levandowski said the project will rob her and her husband of peace, quiet and enjoyment of their home for a significant period of time, noting that her kitchen window is only 200 feet away from the proposed access road.

“This is truly an industrial scale mining operation,” she said.

UPDATED: The application for the project has been withdrawn and a new application may be submitted. Check for updates on The Granbys Patch as they become available. (Thanks to Chris Levandowski for sharing this update).