Fort Worth Mayor, Councilmember oppose concrete plant: It will impact ‘quality of life’
Mayor Mattie Parker and City Councilmember Alan Blaylock have come out in opposition to a proposed concrete batch plant in far north Fort Worth.
The Organic Recycler, a compost and mulch company, is proposing to locate the plant at 13001 Old Denton Rd. The company has applied to the Texas Commission for Environmental Quality to get an air quality permit to operate the plant.
The site is located north of Highway 170 and across the street from the Overlook Ranch apartment complex.
Both Parker and Blaylock sent a letter to TCEQ expressing concerns about the plants impact on nearby residents. They argued the permit application does not give enough detail about how the plant will operate, and have asked TCEQ to extend the public comment period, and hold a public hearing about the application.
Notice of the application was printed in the Jan. 4 issue of the Star-Telegram. This started a 30-day window for public comment, which the city is looking to get extended.
“While we fully recognize the benefits of supporting businesses that want to operate in our City, the proposed location of this facility will negatively impact the surrounding environment and diminish the quality of life of residents in proximity to the proposed facility,” Parker and Blaylock said in the letter.
State Representative Nate Schatzline echoed Parker and Blaylock calling for a public hearing in a comment on TCEQ’s website.
The public needs to be fully aware of what this project is going to be, Schatzline said in a phone interview with the Star-Telegram. He also expressed concern about its proximity to a planned high school being built in the Northwest school district.
Around 500 Mansfield resident crowded an events center in late December 2023 to urge state officials to deny a permit for a concrete batch plant proposed to be built near Rendon. Neighbors and business owners started a campaign — selling t-shirts, holding fundraising dinners and informational meetings — to encourage opposition to the concrete batch plant project planned for a site between Mansfield and Burleson in unincorporated Tarrant County.
The plant in far north Fort Worth will make concrete for small residential projects like building a pergola or a new driveway, said managing partner Timothy Sansone, adding that the actual machinery will be about the size of a tractor trailer.
Other batch plants have large silos that you can see for miles, but not the one we are proposing to build, Sansone said.
However, the application filed with the TCEQ states the plant will operate 24-hours a day, seven days a week, suggesting this would be used for more than just small scale concrete production, Councilmember Blaylock said.
Residents deserve an opportunity to ask questions and learn more about this project before this permit is approved, he said.
This story was originally published January 26, 2024 at 2:36 PM.
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