It was a victory Thursday for residents in Rosemark and Atoka, Tennessee, who are fighting to keep gravel trucks off their roads.
The Land Use Control Board rejected a proposal by Memphis Stone and Gravel to open a gravel pit on a 173-acre piece of property at the corner of Rosemark and Mulberry Roads.
Dozens of residents showed up in opposition. The proposal will go before the Shelby County Land Use Committee next. So, the fight isn’t over yet.
This is just one small victory for Rosemark residents who say gravel trucks make 300 trips a day, and will be noisy and dangerous, and they don’t want it there.
“Thank God ten citizens stood with us for the third time in eight years… and helped us reject this,” says Trip Jones.
“Their true intent is to get this key piece of property, 173-acres on the Shelby County side, to get access to Atoka, and they know that,” says Britton White.
White is fired up over Memphis Stone and Gravel trying to put a gravel pit near his home. White claims the company isn’t being up front.
“They get this ten-year special use permit, then they’re gonna go directly back to Atoka and say we have a haul route now. We want our permit to mine,” says White.
At a Land Use Control Board meeting, a spokesperson for the gravel company said that’s not the case.
“This project you’re reviewing today is in Shelby County only. May hear today about other applications and projects that were in Tipton County and Atoka. This project is in Shelby County,” says Michael Fahy, President of Prime Development Group.
White says he and other residents have done their research on the proposed gravel pit and stand by their findings. They say they will not give up fighting against it.
“We’ve got this industrial operation that wants to come in and invade our community,” says Trip Jones. “We’re on the national historic register. We have old homes and cemeteries.”
“Rosemark is in our blood. It’s important. It’s where we live. It’s where we raised our children. We have our grandchildren come and play,” says Barbara Jones. “We know the fights not over but we’re strong. We’re strong in number. We’re strong in heart. And we’re strong in community and we’re gonna fight to keep our community the way it is now.”
“This key piece of property right here is their key to Atoka and they’re not saying that. They’re saying we’re just going to mine right here and it’ll be great for the community for and we’ll be gone. That is a complete misrepresentation of the truth,” says White.
The issue isn’t dead. Memphis Stone and Gravel plans to keep fighting for the property as residents continue their fight to keep a gravel pit out of their neighborhoods.
It’ll go before the Shelby County Land Use Committee Commission within a month.
