Developer still pushing for concrete crushing plant near Gateway Park

A year after a proposed concrete crushing plant in east Fort Worth drew stiff opposition from city residents and the Zoning Commission, the Dallas developer is seeking a permit for the facility from a state agency that monitors air quality.

Wallace Hall Jr., a Dallas business owner and former University of Texas regent, filed an application in April with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for an air quality permit, which would authorize construction of a permanent concrete crusher, according to the agency.

Hall has wanted to build a plant along East First Street, near Gateway Park and the White Lake Hills neighborhood.

However, Hall, who applied for the permit under the newly formed East First Recycling LLC, would still be subject to city zoning ordinances, said TCEQ spokesman Andrew Keese.

“The TCEQ has the authority to regulate air quality, and any company planning construction of facilities that may emit air contaminants must receive authorization for those emissions from the TCEQ prior to beginning construction,” Keese said in an email.

Jocelyn Murphy, a planning manager in Fort Worth’s Planning and Development Department, said Thursday said she has let the state know the operation would violate city zoning.

Hall wanted to withdraw the case last June, but the Zoning Commission went ahead and voted, hoping that the project would not resurface. The commission recommended the City Council deny with prejudice Hall’s request to change the zoning classification on the 400-acre property that would have allowed a specific use for the concrete recycling facility. It’s zoned for commercial, multifamily and agricultural uses.

The Zoning Commission received more than 1,000 letters, and petitions signed by more than 1,000 people, all in opposition. Denying a request “with prejudice” would prevent Hall from resubmitting the project for consideration for a year.

The council upheld the recommendation based on the strong turnout of residents in surrounding neighborhoods who were concerned about air quality and traffic, among other things.

District 4 Councilman Cary Moon, where the property is located, said Thursday that he contacted the TCEQ a week ago after learning about the permit application, wanting to make sure the state permit would not supercede local zoning rules. Moon said he still opposes the project because his constituents do.

Moon said he has not spoken with Hall since the new permit application was filed.

Hall did not return a phone call seeking comment on the filing.

“I represent the folks of District 4, and I want to make sure their voices are heard,” Moon said. “I don’t view this as a battle with him. He found an avenue to get a permit for his project. He has the right to do that, and we have a right to say no.”

Hall holds hundreds of acres of floodplain along the Trinity River under a mitigation banking business. Mitigation banking allows a developer to obtain a permit to destroy a wetland if they invest in wetland creation or enhancement elsewhere.

This story was originally published June 15, 2017 at 7:25 PM with the headline "Developer still pushing for concrete crushing plant near Gateway Park."