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Opp Mine denied quarry permit By Melissa Martin Jackson County Hearings Officer John Eads denied the owners of the historic Opp Mine a permit to extract aggregate in a ruling that echoed Jacksonville�s concerns about truck traffic. Eads denied the permit because he said the mine owners failed to show how they would mitigate the impact of truck traffic on Reservoir Road and other city streets. He also called the mining area a habitat for black-tail deer and Roosevelt elk and cited that as another reason for denying the permit. "We were not surprised," said Bob Robertson, an attorney and a partner in Jackson Creek Sand Co., owner of the Opp Mine. "It�s clear the hearings officer is opposed to rock pits." Jacksonville Administrator Paul Wyntergreen praised the ruling. "His decision regarding the inadequacy of Reservoir Road is one of the issues the city and the neighbors were constantly raising concerns about," Wyntergreen said. Robertson said he won�t take the case to the Land Use Board of Appeals, but considers the recent lawsuit he filed in U.S. District Court to be an avenue of appeal. The lawsuit names Jackson County, the city of Jacksonville and Jacksonville�s council members and mayor, asking for $50 million to compensate the devaluation of his property because local governments won�t allow mining on it. "It�s a negative value condemnation," Robertson said. "By not allowing us to mine, that land has no value. You can�t put a housing development on it, you can�t grow trees because of the collapsed underground tunnels. It�s zoned woodland resource and it�s totally worthless." The Jackson County hearings officer ruled on the case � a request for a conditional use permit � because county planning staff earlier granted administrative approval of the plan but the city of Jacksonville appealed the decision. The appeal prompted public hearings and a ruling by the hearings officer. Jackson Creek Sand Co. had abandoned plans to use Reservoir Road to haul materials in and out of the mine, proposing instead the rebuilding of the old Opp Mine Road, said planner Mike Lanier. Jackson Creek Sand Co. proposed paying Jacksonville per yard of aggregate so the city could set aside the money for a truck route. Reach reporter Melissa Martin at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.