The Wright City Board of Aldermen approved a proposed site plan for a Magruder asphalt plant with conditions by a split 3-1 vote during their meeting Thursday, June 11.

The proposed plant would be located off of Roelker Road near Star Connection Drive.

Mayor Michelle Heiliger said that during a June 1 workshop meeting the board discussed having Magruder move the entrance to their facility to Star Connection Drive, but the company wanted to create a turn lane on Roelker Road for access to their property. Heiliger said recommendations from a traffic study had been obtained and were being adhered to.

Heiliger asked representatives about issues that have been brought up regarding environmental issues relating to the asphalt plant such as smells and damage to people’s lungs.

Magruder representatives said that all asphalt plants in the state require permitting from Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the company follows all of their rules and regulations. The company said it is inspected by DNR but the timeframe varies annually or every two years.

Alderman Don Andrews spoke about the traffic study and noted that it recommended an entrance off of Star Connection Drive. He said one of the requirements in utilizing Roelker Road would be tested to make sure it could handle the truck traffic. Andrews said he didn’t want to see the facility open and then in a couple of months the city repairing roads due to damages. Andrews also brought up requirements under the city’s M-1 code regarding smell-related issues.

City Attorney Paul Rost said that issues relating to the smell coming from the property is more of a code enforcement issue than an issue of denial of the site plan.

As part of the discussion on the proposed site plan several residents spoke during the meeting, many of whom spoke in opposition to the project.

Joe Purl asked the board whether or not there has been any studies regarding foot traffic on Roelker Road. He said that many people, including students at the high school, walk along Roelker and he felt that the addition of heavy trucks could pose a danger for pedestrians.

Heiliger said that one of the restrictions on the property is that trucks cannot turn left on Roelker Road, so they cannot go south toward the high school. Heiliger told Purl that the city has been seeking grants for sidewalks along Roelker Road, but has not yet received approval for their grant applications. She also added that the property has been zoned M-1 for some time as residents made it clear in previous meetings that they did not want the zoning changed for the property.

Alderman Kim Arbuthnot said that every single project that has been proposed for the parcel has been met with objections from the residents. She referenced a previous proposal relating to cottage homes, which was roundly denounced by residents. She said the asphalt plant fits the city’s current zoning requirements.

Alderman Karey Owens reiterated the desire of residents to keep the property zoned as M-1.

Heiliger told those in attendance that Magruder has done everything the city has asked them to do over several months in discussing the project. She said the city has asked them to move the entrance, put up lighting, elongate a road the company never intended to build, move the location of the plant on the parcel and complete the traffic study, all of which Magruder performed. She added that based upon all their efforts she felt that Magruder would be a good business partner for the city. She added that the plant is positioned so far back on the property and sits so low that it cannot be seen from Roelker Road.

Resident James Key then spoke and he said he was concerned with the proximity of the plant to Wright City High School. He said there is evidence that within a two mile radius of asphalt plants there are problems with breathing in vapors from the facility.

Resident Larry Zuhone, whose property abuts the facility, asked the board if they had done any studies on the effect such a plant would have on land values.

Resident Jackie Wheeler said that she and her mother own a farm next to the proposed facility and that she is also concerned about property values. She referenced another town in Missouri that saw property values decline by 56 percent due to the approval of an asphalt plant. She also asked the board whether or not the facility would be subject to a full approval by Missouri DNR, especially an air quality study.

Magruder representatives said that they do have to have a permit from DNR to operate and that the permit includes an air quality study.

Resident Josh Sher said that while he feels the city has done an unbelievable job revitalizing the community, Wright City normally takes two steps forward and four steps back.

“No one wants to live in a community where there is an asphalt facility,” Sher said. He then questioned Rost regarding how an asphalt plant could be considered light industrial.

Rost said that the currently drafted M-1 zone does not prohibit an asphalt plant. He noted that the definitions for the industrial zones were not tailored sufficiently enough to clearly outline restrictions. He admitted that if the city could go back in time it might be better to rewrite the M-1 zone, but that the city’s hands were effectively tied based upon current definitions.

Andrews said that he personally thinks that asphalt plants should fit into M-2 heavy industrial zones. He offered a compromise asking Magruder representatives if it would be possible to place some type of perfume into the asphalt to mask the smell.

Mark Magruder said that there is an additive that could possibly be added to the oil to mask the smell, but he noted that the company has three portable plants they move throughout the state for MoDOT projects and they have never had complaints regarding the smell.

Before a final vote, Rost told the board that in approving the site plan it needed to be clear that the board is not approving any subdivision of the property. He said there is also a reference to a future expansion, but noted that any expansion would require a future site plan. He said the plan also needed to clearly outline the setback requirements for the current lots, which resulted in a suggestion from Magruder for a consolidation plat. Rost also said that a condition needed to be added that the facility needs to meet the city’s performance standards. Specifically, there needed to be a condition that the odors from the facility do not violate the city’s nuisance standards.

Ultimately the board voted in favor of the proposal by a vote of 3-1 with Arbuthnot, Owens and Andrews voting for approval and Alderman Russ Lyons voting against the site plan.