The Emporia City Commission will decide Wednesday whether to give a proposed biodiesel plant the heavy industrial zoning it needs.
The $65 million plant is a project of the Renewable Energy Group of Iowa, which plans to build it on a 41.5 acre site just east of Norfolk Iron & Metal. The site is currently zoned for light industry. REG says the plant will employ 30 people and will use soybean oil from Bunge North America to produce up to 60 million gallons of biodiesel fuel a year.
At a recent planning commission meeting, some residential neighbors expressed concerns about flooding, light pollution, safety and the effect on local property values. The planners voted 6-2 to recommend the zoning, but with a 10-foot tree-lined berm to partially shield the plant from the neighborhood. They also specified that if the site was not used for an REG biodiesel plant, it would revert to light industrial.
The two planners who voted against the recommendation, Gilbert Stefan and Kenton Thomas, said a heavy industrial zone did not belong in the neighborhood.
“I am not against biodiesel,” Stefan said at the meeting. “By no means. I think it’s great. The question is not whether it’s good or bad. This is a zoning issue to me.”
The city commission meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the commission chambers, 518 Mechanic St.
On May 2, city commissioners applied for a $750,000 state grant to help build a road and utilities for the proposed plant. If the commission votes against the plant Wednesday, the grant can be retracted.
Also on the agenda for Wednesday’s meeting are:
• A property tax exemption for some of the equipment involved in the Menu Foods expansion. This is a timed item, to begin at 7:05 p.m.
• A decision on whether to make the Regional Development Association of East-Central Kansas the city’s lead agency for retail development.
• Two sign ordinances, one to modify the pole sign regulations and the other to allow real estate directional signs.
• The vacation of a 20-foot setback on lot one in the Crestview Lakes Sixth Addition.
• Bids for a KLINK resurfacing project along U.S. Highway 50 from Graphic Arts Road to Industrial Road.
• Approval of a public hearing publication for Health Care Facilities Refunding and Improvement Revenue Bonds, series 2007, Presbyterian Manors, Inc. through the city of Wichita.
• Permitting use of downtown streets and sidewalks for the Annual Sidewalk Sale, Muggles Mania, the ESU Welcome Back and the Great American Flea Market.
• An appointment to the Board of Zoning Appeals.
• A proclamation declaring May “National Preservation Month.”
• A report from City Manager Matt Zimmerman.
• An executive session.
daveedailey (anonymous) says...
If the commission votes against the biodiesel plant and zoning they should be hung out to dry. Do they not realize that Emporia is about to blow away? I also would like to know why I do not get a tax exemption because of heavy equipment driving on my street! (haha) To me the zoning in this town is a comic strip. We lost a box company coming to town because of ridiculous things like this. These people need to get out and see how the real world lives, but of course if they do, our tax dollars will pay for it!
May 14, 2007 at 3:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
midnight_rider (anonymous) says...
Before the city goes and changes the zoning for another industry, I hope they make sure they know what they are doing. It seems that so many times in the past they jump to get industries to come to town and then things don't work out. Why can't they get some industry to come to town that will hire more then just a few people. But it does make sense for the RDA to be the organization to handle retail development with their knowledge, experience, etc.
May 14, 2007 at 9:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
daveedailey (anonymous) says...
What knowledge and experience??? They only know how to give tax breaks to get the companies to come to town. Why do you think wal-mart is here? Of course, if they do not get more retail in here, more and more people will shop out of town as I do.
May 15, 2007 at 8:13 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )