More debate ahead on Cary gravel pit

After more than a year of debate and delays, the Cary village board again on Tuesday delayed voting on a proposal to open a gravel pit in the village.

The proposal, which would allow McHenry's Meyer Material Company to open a gravel pit next to the Fox Trails subdivision, has faced vocal opposition from residents worried about noise, air and water pollution and their property values.

The new gravel pit, which would border the western edge of the subdivision, would be adjacent to an existing pit farther south that mostly lies in Algonquin Village.

The board spent more than two hours questioning Meyer representatives on potential compensation for affected homeowners, safety concerns and possible steps to reduce noise from the gravel pit.

Engineers hired by the village testified on potential steps to ease the mine's impact, including a new intersection on Route 31 to accommodate the pit's access road and higher berms to screen the pit from view and absorb sound.

The board considered, and recommended further changes to a revised plan that included several recommendations from Mayor Steve Lamal, as well as a draft of a new proposal from Meyer to guarantee the property values of homeowners adjacent to the gravel pit.

The revised plan suggested shortening Meyer's period to mine the pit from 10 years to eight and requiring Meyer to post a $2 million letter of credit to ensure restoration of the site within two years of the pit's closing.

The proposal also included a draft proposal from Meyer to guarantee property values for 149 homes within 500 feet of the gravel pit's eastern edge. The proposed guarantee would commit Meyer to pay these homeowners any difference between their homes' values before the new gravel pit and the eventual actual sales value.

The proposed home value guarantee drew a series of questions from board members, including whether a 500-foot boundary would be inclusive enough.

"You can't just pick and choose these 149 homes," board member Rick Dudek said. "People who live 510 feet from the pit might think they're affected, and they might be."

Al Arvidson, a 14-year resident of the Fox Trail subdivision, agreed.

"We live five blocks from the Algonquin mine," Arvidson said. "My wife wears ear plugs in the kitchen, and she can still hear the rock crushers working."

"It seems like the city will benefit immensely from this," Arvidson added, "and Meyer will benefit immensely, but the rest of us are just left out to dry."

The board agreed to give Meyer time to fine-tune the home value guarantee plan before its next meeting, on October 30.

This proposal's sound control measures also failed to satisfy some of the Fox Trail residents in attendance.

Village Trustee Deb McNamee, who abstained from discussion of the value guarantee program because her home would be eligible, drew applause from the 60 or so residents gathered when she commented on the noise from Meyer's existing gravel pit. "This is affecting people's lives," she said.

Mayor Lamal was quick to say that, while the board is giving Meyer time to explain and amend its proposal, he does not think its eventual approval is assured.

"We're making progress toward understanding this thing," Lamar said. "October 30, we'll tweak it a little more, and whenever it's decided for or against, the decision will be based on a full understanding of the issue."

"I wouldn't speculate or try to predict the outcome at all," Lamar said. "I will say that this thing is far from fully baked."