13.B) Rezoning #03-23 of O-N Minerals (Chemstone) d/b/a Carmeuse Americas to Rezone 391.87+/- Acres from RA (Rural Areas) District to EM (Extractive Manufacturing) District with Proffers. The Properties are Located East of the Winchester & Western Railroad, North of Brucetown Road (Route 672) and Turkey Run, and South of Woodbine Road (Route 669) and are Identified by Property Identification Numbers (PIN’s) 34-A-8A Portion, 34-A-129E Portion, 34-A-10, 34-A-10A, 34-A-10B, 34-A-10D, 34-A-10E, 34-A-10F, 34-8-1-1, 34-8-1-2, 34-8-1-3, 34-8-1-4, 34-8-1-5, 34-8-1-6, 34-8-1-7, 34-8-1-8, 34-8-1-9, 34-8-1-17, 34-1-A, 34-A-7, 34-A-129A and 34-A-129G in the Stonewall Magisterial District. (Public Hearing was held October 25, 2023, with action postponed to November 8.)
Concerning the Mayor of Middletown's comments... great community partners do not make threats. Carmeuse is threatening both Middletown and Clearbrook successfully pitting the two towns against each other. This is not a "great community partner." This is not a business who facilitates good relationships within our county. This is not a business who cares about the citizens of the county. This is a Belgium business who is only interested in their own gains at the expense of the local citizens.
Carmeuse has not made a commitment to NOT bringing the trucks through Middletown if this rezoning is passed. Middletown is still subject to increased traffic at the whim of Carmeuse and yet, it would be much more economical for them to use the railroad they have access to between both quarries in order to bring rock into Clearbrook for further processing.
The fact that Carmeuse is threatening us as a county, is real.
The negative hydraulic impact this will bring is real. There were worse droughts in 2002 and 1999 when our local springs, streams, and ponds did NOT run dry like they have today.
The fact that this rezoning directly contradicts and jeopardizes our land use plan is real.
Did you know that Carmeuse as a company has paid over $3 million in environmental penalties since 2000? They have also had $964,165 in penalties for over 97 safety-related offenses. (Source: https://violationtracker.goodjobsfirst.org/parent/carmeuse)
Please do not approve this rezoning application as it currently stands. This goes against our land use plan which we are supposed to be able to rely on for our county's future. How can businesses and citizens plan knowing the public land use plan is merely a facade and not a guide? This rezoning directly impacts our quality of life and our livelihoods. This directly impacts the land rights of those living in Clearbrook. This teaches all other businesses that they merely need to threaten our county in order to get their way. Vote no.
As a resident of Middletown and an AOSE, I understand the challenges that many people face when making decisions regarding wells and water problems. This past year has seen a significant amount of dry wells due to limited water from a drought that has had major effects on all water supplies including ponds, streams, and the river. I do know that can be very concerning when you have no water and you have to drill a new well or hydrofract your existing well. It would be interesting to read the report that was done by the private company and if the drought was a major issue for the wells in question that have been mentioned.
I do know though that having 250 plus trucks going through a small town that is already dealing with a large growth of residential homes is not good. The level of traffic, noise, and damage to our local back roads and also to our small main street, would be costly to the whole town and county. The cost to repair the roads, make them larger and to add traffic lights would be very high, and the townspeople would have to pay for this, on top of our taxes we are dealing with now. Please support this bill.
Thank you
Five years ago my family moved from western Frederick County to Clear Brook. While we loved our secluded rural property there, we found ourselves needing to move to this part of the county. Our home in Clear Brook was intentionally chosen not only for its more convenient, driveable location but also because it still fit our desire for a peaceful, rural setting. We live off of a narrow, gravel country road that ambles past beautiful agricultural land. While we were certainly aware of the proximity of the current quarry when we chose to move here, we were stunned at just how impactful it would prove to be to live this close to it. Now they literally want to be our next-door neighbors, and it is absolutely heartbreaking to consider this possibility. The gravel road will no longer be our way to escape the constant truck traffic from the quarry. The light, noise, and air pollution will be, for all intents and purposes, in our backyard. (And while I have heard that white noise has been mentioned to cover the sound of the trucks, etc., white noise is still noise.) And it is unthinkable to me to have yet another mountain of debris blemish this beautiful area. The value of our home as well as our ability to sell it will undoubtedly be affected in a negative manner. With current housing prices, moving to escape this nightmare scenario isn’t a strong option for us. While I certainly understand the attractiveness of this proposed plan to those who work for Carmeuse as well as to those who do not have to live in their shadow, I urge you to consider the impact on the lives of those who are already established and have homes here before voting to allow this purchased agricultural land to be permanently destroyed and stripped from its residents. Please vote against changing the land use to mining and consider a more mutually beneficial alternative.
Dear Members of the Frederick County Board of Supervisors,
On behalf of the Middletown Town Council, we would like to ask that you support the effort of the Carmeuse rezoning attempt. Middletown and Stephens City residents have grave concerns about the denial of this request and the additional burden of 267 tractor trailers on our already crowded roadways. Carmeuse officials have stated that because of the infrastructure upgrades to the Clearbrook plant, they will truck materials in from Middletown, should this rezoning attempt fail. Currently, only 25 trucks a day enter and leave the Middletown site. That number will spike to 190 daily trucks from the Middletown quarry and nearly 100 more from the Carmeuse Strasburg operation. The addition of that many trucks per day on our roads, would simply not be feasible for our small, quaint, historic town. I sincerely hate the fact that this issue has pitted Clearbrook residents against Middletown and Stephens City residents, but I can't help but think if Clearbrook residents have considered what the addition of 267 tractor trailers would do to their already strained intersection of Brucetown Road. Would it not be a better solution for Clearbrook residents to work with Carmeuse officials and accept the over $2.5M dollars in proffers and road improvements AND keep 267 trucks a day off of your roads? Carmeuse has been a great partner in the community, donating more than 36 acres of land for preservation to the Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation. The 36 acres of land yielded over 6,000 artifacts on display at various museums! In addition, they are annual supporters of the July 4th Celebration in Middletown, the annual Reenactment of the Battle of Cedar Creek, Blue Ridge Food Bank, Sherando Warrior Club and Sherando Band Boosters. Thank you for your consideration and service to the residents of Frederick County.
Sincerely,
Charles Harbaugh IV
Mayor of Middletown & Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation Board Member
My name is Zach Scott and I am the Virginia Policy Director for the Potomac Conservancy. Founded in 1993, Potomac Conservancy is the region’s leading clean water advocate, fighting to ensure the Potomac River boasts clean drinking water, healthy lands, and vibrant communities. Potomac Conservancy hopes to make the Potomac region a place where clean water, outdoor experiences, and thriving ecosystems are accessible to and safe for everyone.
I am reaching out on behalf of Potomac Conservancy to share our concern over this proposed rezoning. Frederick County plays a key role in housing several important waterways in the state of Virginia that deeply impact the Potomac River and the state as a whole. These include Turkey Run, Slate Run, Opequon Creek, and Back Creek. With several of these water sources serving as tributaries to the Potomac River, it’s extremely important to consider the impacts that such a large mining operation may have on these waterways, as well as the groundwater for those in the area as well. Back Creek is of specific importance to our organization as Potomac Conservancy recently placed a conservation easement of 170 acres of land in the Back Creek watershed near Winchester to create a Back Creek Conservation Corridor. Potomac Conservancy plans to conserve these forests and waterways for future generations to enjoy. Mining operations like this could pose a threat to this work as well as that of other waterways in the county. For these reasons, our organization encourages this Board to consider all possible risks and impact of this possible rezoning before making a decision regarding the rezoning application.
The Potomac Conservancy continues to serve as an association focused on ensuring river friendly and clean water policies are adopted at all levels of government. If there is any way our organization can assist you or provide information and data moving forward, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly at scott@potomac.org.
I do NOT Support this issue. Middletown already has 25 Dumps that roll thru our Town on a daily basis, we do not need that times 10. Our citizens walk up and down our Main Street (Rte. 11) kids play and ride their bicycle's up and down the sidewalk. This not only will create an unnecessary Safety issue, but an issue of who is going to be responsible for helping us repair our roads. Is Frederick county going to give up some of their proffer monies that Middletown provides to Frederick County to assist us with our infrastructure? Our Town is growing at an astronomical rate, we already need a traffic signal at Reliance and Rte. 11, is Frederick County going to assist us in paying for that. Keep those trucks in your part of the County where they initiated at and allow Carmeuse to stay where they originally mined, just a shift in area! And in the long scheme of things I believe Carmeuse was already there when the County gave the Builder the permit to build around them. Why should Carmeuse be punished when Frederick County should bear the blunt of this! Its not like the County didnt know the mining facility was already there and in operation.
Just no. Please don’t let them rape the land for a few minuscule donations (think about how much money this giant corporation has and look at the proposed donations.- it’s pennies). Those of us who actually live here and will be directly impacted oppose the rezoning. Would you want the property next to your house become a Quarry? Honestly. Have some pride in this beautiful land and all the history here. Stop being petty, greedy, corrupt politicians and do what is right.
Concerning the Mayor of Middletown's comments... great community partners do not make threats. Carmeuse is threatening both Middletown and Clearbrook successfully pitting the two towns against each other. This is not a "great community partner." This is not a business who facilitates good relationships within our county. This is not a business who cares about the citizens of the county. This is a Belgium business who is only interested in their own gains at the expense of the local citizens.
Carmeuse has not made a commitment to NOT bringing the trucks through Middletown if this rezoning is passed. Middletown is still subject to increased traffic at the whim of Carmeuse and yet, it would be much more economical for them to use the railroad they have access to between both quarries in order to bring rock into Clearbrook for further processing.
The fact that Carmeuse is threatening us as a county, is real.
The negative hydraulic impact this will bring is real. There were worse droughts in 2002 and 1999 when our local springs, streams, and ponds did NOT run dry like they have today.
The fact that this rezoning directly contradicts and jeopardizes our land use plan is real.
Did you know that Carmeuse as a company has paid over $3 million in environmental penalties since 2000? They have also had $964,165 in penalties for over 97 safety-related offenses. (Source: https://violationtracker.goodjobsfirst.org/parent/carmeuse)
Please do not approve this rezoning application as it currently stands. This goes against our land use plan which we are supposed to be able to rely on for our county's future. How can businesses and citizens plan knowing the public land use plan is merely a facade and not a guide? This rezoning directly impacts our quality of life and our livelihoods. This directly impacts the land rights of those living in Clearbrook. This teaches all other businesses that they merely need to threaten our county in order to get their way. Vote no.
As a resident of Middletown and an AOSE, I understand the challenges that many people face when making decisions regarding wells and water problems. This past year has seen a significant amount of dry wells due to limited water from a drought that has had major effects on all water supplies including ponds, streams, and the river. I do know that can be very concerning when you have no water and you have to drill a new well or hydrofract your existing well. It would be interesting to read the report that was done by the private company and if the drought was a major issue for the wells in question that have been mentioned.
I do know though that having 250 plus trucks going through a small town that is already dealing with a large growth of residential homes is not good. The level of traffic, noise, and damage to our local back roads and also to our small main street, would be costly to the whole town and county. The cost to repair the roads, make them larger and to add traffic lights would be very high, and the townspeople would have to pay for this, on top of our taxes we are dealing with now. Please support this bill.
Thank you
Five years ago my family moved from western Frederick County to Clear Brook. While we loved our secluded rural property there, we found ourselves needing to move to this part of the county. Our home in Clear Brook was intentionally chosen not only for its more convenient, driveable location but also because it still fit our desire for a peaceful, rural setting. We live off of a narrow, gravel country road that ambles past beautiful agricultural land. While we were certainly aware of the proximity of the current quarry when we chose to move here, we were stunned at just how impactful it would prove to be to live this close to it. Now they literally want to be our next-door neighbors, and it is absolutely heartbreaking to consider this possibility. The gravel road will no longer be our way to escape the constant truck traffic from the quarry. The light, noise, and air pollution will be, for all intents and purposes, in our backyard. (And while I have heard that white noise has been mentioned to cover the sound of the trucks, etc., white noise is still noise.) And it is unthinkable to me to have yet another mountain of debris blemish this beautiful area. The value of our home as well as our ability to sell it will undoubtedly be affected in a negative manner. With current housing prices, moving to escape this nightmare scenario isn’t a strong option for us. While I certainly understand the attractiveness of this proposed plan to those who work for Carmeuse as well as to those who do not have to live in their shadow, I urge you to consider the impact on the lives of those who are already established and have homes here before voting to allow this purchased agricultural land to be permanently destroyed and stripped from its residents. Please vote against changing the land use to mining and consider a more mutually beneficial alternative.
Dear Members of the Frederick County Board of Supervisors,
On behalf of the Middletown Town Council, we would like to ask that you support the effort of the Carmeuse rezoning attempt. Middletown and Stephens City residents have grave concerns about the denial of this request and the additional burden of 267 tractor trailers on our already crowded roadways. Carmeuse officials have stated that because of the infrastructure upgrades to the Clearbrook plant, they will truck materials in from Middletown, should this rezoning attempt fail. Currently, only 25 trucks a day enter and leave the Middletown site. That number will spike to 190 daily trucks from the Middletown quarry and nearly 100 more from the Carmeuse Strasburg operation. The addition of that many trucks per day on our roads, would simply not be feasible for our small, quaint, historic town. I sincerely hate the fact that this issue has pitted Clearbrook residents against Middletown and Stephens City residents, but I can't help but think if Clearbrook residents have considered what the addition of 267 tractor trailers would do to their already strained intersection of Brucetown Road. Would it not be a better solution for Clearbrook residents to work with Carmeuse officials and accept the over $2.5M dollars in proffers and road improvements AND keep 267 trucks a day off of your roads? Carmeuse has been a great partner in the community, donating more than 36 acres of land for preservation to the Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation. The 36 acres of land yielded over 6,000 artifacts on display at various museums! In addition, they are annual supporters of the July 4th Celebration in Middletown, the annual Reenactment of the Battle of Cedar Creek, Blue Ridge Food Bank, Sherando Warrior Club and Sherando Band Boosters. Thank you for your consideration and service to the residents of Frederick County.
Sincerely,
Charles Harbaugh IV
Mayor of Middletown & Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation Board Member
My name is Zach Scott and I am the Virginia Policy Director for the Potomac Conservancy. Founded in 1993, Potomac Conservancy is the region’s leading clean water advocate, fighting to ensure the Potomac River boasts clean drinking water, healthy lands, and vibrant communities. Potomac Conservancy hopes to make the Potomac region a place where clean water, outdoor experiences, and thriving ecosystems are accessible to and safe for everyone.
I am reaching out on behalf of Potomac Conservancy to share our concern over this proposed rezoning. Frederick County plays a key role in housing several important waterways in the state of Virginia that deeply impact the Potomac River and the state as a whole. These include Turkey Run, Slate Run, Opequon Creek, and Back Creek. With several of these water sources serving as tributaries to the Potomac River, it’s extremely important to consider the impacts that such a large mining operation may have on these waterways, as well as the groundwater for those in the area as well. Back Creek is of specific importance to our organization as Potomac Conservancy recently placed a conservation easement of 170 acres of land in the Back Creek watershed near Winchester to create a Back Creek Conservation Corridor. Potomac Conservancy plans to conserve these forests and waterways for future generations to enjoy. Mining operations like this could pose a threat to this work as well as that of other waterways in the county. For these reasons, our organization encourages this Board to consider all possible risks and impact of this possible rezoning before making a decision regarding the rezoning application.
The Potomac Conservancy continues to serve as an association focused on ensuring river friendly and clean water policies are adopted at all levels of government. If there is any way our organization can assist you or provide information and data moving forward, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly at scott@potomac.org.
Zach Scott
I do NOT Support this issue. Middletown already has 25 Dumps that roll thru our Town on a daily basis, we do not need that times 10. Our citizens walk up and down our Main Street (Rte. 11) kids play and ride their bicycle's up and down the sidewalk. This not only will create an unnecessary Safety issue, but an issue of who is going to be responsible for helping us repair our roads. Is Frederick county going to give up some of their proffer monies that Middletown provides to Frederick County to assist us with our infrastructure? Our Town is growing at an astronomical rate, we already need a traffic signal at Reliance and Rte. 11, is Frederick County going to assist us in paying for that. Keep those trucks in your part of the County where they initiated at and allow Carmeuse to stay where they originally mined, just a shift in area! And in the long scheme of things I believe Carmeuse was already there when the County gave the Builder the permit to build around them. Why should Carmeuse be punished when Frederick County should bear the blunt of this! Its not like the County didnt know the mining facility was already there and in operation.
Just no. Please don’t let them rape the land for a few minuscule donations (think about how much money this giant corporation has and look at the proposed donations.- it’s pennies). Those of us who actually live here and will be directly impacted oppose the rezoning. Would you want the property next to your house become a Quarry? Honestly. Have some pride in this beautiful land and all the history here. Stop being petty, greedy, corrupt politicians and do what is right.