December 2009 UPDATE

On Thursday, January 7, 2010, there will be an important meeting at the New Hanover Township building at 7:00 p.m.  It is important for as many residents to attend this meeting as possible!  Here’s the reason:

The New Hanover Zoning Hearing Board will finally render a decision on whether or not to allow the quarry to mine on 77 additional acres they purchased north of Hoffmansville Road, zoned “HI” and “LI”.  This acreage is referred to as “GR2”.

Gibraltar Rock is also challenging the validity of a portion of the township’s Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance where a fee of $75,000 per acre is required in lieu of dedication of land to Parks & Recreation in the heavy industrial district.

 A short history:

On June 18, 2007, the Zoning Hearing Board issued a decision following public hearings from May 31, 2001 through February 1, 2007 on the application of Gibraltar Rock, Inc.   Gibraltar Rock claimed they were entitled to “site specific relief” and should be permitted to operate a quarry on parcels in both the LI and HI zoning districts.  

The Zoning Hearing Board granted Gibraltar Rock a special exception to operate a quarry in the HI-heavy industrial but they denied the right to quarry in the LI-light industrial.  The New Hanover Zoning Hearing Board also listed 20 restrictions to the proposed quarry operation.  Gibraltar Rock, Inc. filed an appeal in the Court of Common Pleas.

During the year 2008 when our township supervisors were considering entering into an agreement with Gibraltar Rock, the critical issues in the agreement were never presented to the Zoning Hearing Board.  The Paradise Watchdogs/Ban the Quarry and hundreds of residents objected to the settlement of these matters in private without the benefit of New Hanover citizen and Zoning Hearing Board input.

We were pleased when the Board of Supervisors decided to reinstate the zoning hearings for Gibraltar Rock’s application to quarry in our township.  The upcoming meeting on January 7^th will mark the culmination of almost nine years of dedicated work by our zoning hearing board in considering the applications of Gibraltar Rock, Inc. 

WE HOPE YOU WILL JOIN US ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, AT 7 p.m.

AT THE NEW HANOVER TOWNSHIP BUILDING.