July 16, 2015
Suit-Kote mine backed by planning board
The Cortland County Planning Board unanimously approved Wednesday night an application for Cortlandville-based paving company Suit-Kote Corp. to expand its sand and gravel mine in the hamlet of Polkville in the town.
Suit-Kote plans to build an approximately 57-acre mine on the west side of Route 11 about a quarter mile south of Interstate 81’s Exit 10.
The proposed mine is expected to take up most of the available 90 acres of land and will ultimately become a large water body surrounded by open space.
The site would be adjacent to the Polkville Crushed Stone mine site. Suit-Kote would break down gravel so that it is small enough to be transported via conveyor belt to the existing Polkville operation. From there, gravel will be further processed and then delivered to construction sites.
The board recommended the town approve granting company Vice President Paul Suits a site plan review, a conditional permit, an aquifer protection district special permit and a development permit for flood hazard areas.
Board Member Ann Swisher said during the meeting she was concerned about Suit-Kote’s planned stockpiling of materials, like excess soil and mulch, in the floodway near the Tioughnioga River. She wants to ensure the materials do not travel downstream.
The planning board recommended that the town of Cortlandville require an engineering analysis to ensure materials from the mine that are in the floodway do not cause any future problems for flood mitigation.
“The stockpiles ... may cause an impediment to the floodwaters,” County Planning Department Director Dan Dineen said. “If you have the stockpiles of soil, the water has to go somewhere else.”
Other concerns raised by board members include possible noise impacts from mining operations.
Board Members Paul Dries and Swisher raised concerns about the possible noise impact.
Swisher said that the seedlings Suit-Kote will use to provide a visual and noise buffer may not grow in time to protect residents around the area.
Dries said other concerns he heard include the placement of the vegetation buffer and whether the mine would impact neighbors’ property values.
Ryan DuBois, environmental health and safety manager for Suit-Kote, said a noise analysis already conducted found that the noise coming from the new site would not be any different than the noise impact from the existing operations. A noise analysis is also part of the State Environmental Quality Review process.
After the board recommended approval of his application, Suits said he understands some of the concerns that were brought up by board members.
“We are going to do everything we can to be neighborhood friendly,” Suits said.
The new mine is expected to have a life expectancy of around 25 years.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation also determined the expansion of the sand and gravel mine would not have any environmental impact, including no impact to the sole source aquifer.
Other recommendations of the planning board include the company receiving approval from the state Department of Transportation for a proposed driveway entrance on Route 11, approval of the stormwater pollution prevention plan by the county Soil and Water Conservation District, and complying with the town’s flood damage prevention regulations.
The application now goes to the Cortlandville Planning Board to review.
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