Latest News on SE Asphalt’s proposed hot mix asphalt plant:
Follow our updates here and join our Facebook group to get the latest news on the conditional rezoning application #R-2020-03-C submitted on behalf of SE Asphalt – Jeff Shipman on May 1,2020, which requests Henderson County conditionally rezone a 6.5 acre portion of land, currently owned by Dustin Gosnell of DGP HOLDINGS LLC and Nathan and Kelly Byrd of NKMR VENTURES LLC, to a conditional district to construct a new asphalt drum plant located off Spartanburg Hwy (US 176) in East Flat Rock, North Carolina.
The proposed site of this asphalt drum plant is on the northeast corner of Highway 176 and US Highway 25 (Exit 7 on Highway 25), within one mile of hundreds of single family homes, small farms, the Green River Game Lands, and the Eastern Continental Divide. The headwaters of Laurel Creek, which feeds into the Green River gorge, is less than 300 feet from the proposed site.
The property is currently zoned Community Commercial, which allows for residential and commercial uses, such as office buildings and retail sales and services. Asphalt plants are not currently permitted and special conditional rezoning must be obtained in order to build a heavy industrial plant in such close proximity to neighborhood homes, schools, and churches.
Adopt-A-Highway Trash Pickup: Join us Saturday, January 15, 2022
Please join us Saturday, January 15, 2022 from 10 am until 1 pm to pick up trash along our Highway 176 corridor and keep one of the main gateways into our county clean from litter and debri. As part of NCDOT's Adopt-A-Highway program, Friends of East Flat Rock has adopted the 2-mile section of Spartanburg Highway (US Hwy 176) from [...]
Huge Victory: SE Asphalt Withdraws Application… AGAIN
Once again and just hours before the Special Called Meeting on Tuesday, June 1 at which the Board of Commissioners would make a final decision, Jeff Shipman of SE Asphalt withdrew his application to rezone a 6.5 acre portion of land located on the northeast corner of Highway 176 and US Highway 25 (Exit 7 on Highway 25) to a [...]
Say NO to SE Asphalt’s plant on May 17
Henderson County has scheduled a public hearing at 5:00 pm on Monday, May 17 to decide to approve or deny Jeff Shipman's rezoning application to build a hot mix asphalt plant on his property on the northeast corner of Highway 176 and US Highway 25 (Exit 7 on Highway 25). This public hearing is your best opportunity to say NO [...]
Reminder: Planning Board reviews SE Asphalt’s rezoning application April 15
The 9 members of the Henderson County Planning Board will review Jeff Shipman and SE Asphalt’s rezoning application tomorrow (Thursday, April 15, 2021) at 5:30 pm at the Blue Ridge Community College Thomas Auditorium (180 W Campus Drive, Flat Rock, NC 28731). Please attend IN PERSON and be ready to make your public comments about why you oppose building a [...]
Jeff Shipman reapplies to build his hot mix asphalt plant
It looks as if 2021 will be a repeat of 2020. Jeff Shipman of SE Asphalt has reapplied for a conditional rezoning to build his hot mix asphalt drum plant on the northeast corner of Hwy 25 & Hwy 176 (exit 7) in East Flat Rock. The new application (Conditional Rezoning Request #R-2021-01-CD) is being submitted under the name of [...]
Is Henderson County encouraging another asphalt plant rezoning application?
On Wednesday, October 21, the Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing on proposed changes to the Henderson County Land Development Code, three of which will make it easier to build and operate a hot mix asphalt plant on land not already zoned for industrial use. These three amendments, proposed by the Planning Department and found on pages 6-7 [...]
Huge Victory: SE Asphalt Withdraws Rezoning Application
In a surprise move earlier today and just days before the Special Called Meeting on Thursday, October 1, Jeff Shipman of SE Asphalt withdrew his application to rezone a 6.5 acre portion of land located on the northeast corner of Highway 176 and US Highway 25 (Exit 7 on Highway 25) to a conditional district to construct a new asphalt [...]
Foot on the gas! We’re not there quite yet.
Thursday night was a BIG win for us when our Henderson County Planning Board members recommended to deny Jeff Shipman’s application for conditional zoning after a 5-2 vote – but don’t celebrate too soon. While the planning board’s recommendation will help influence the final decision, the Board of Commissioners can still approve the Conditional District rezoning application when it comes [...]
Imagine hundreds of cars revving in a parking lot
In a strange twist this week, SE Asphalt published an air quality comparison showing the impact of its proposed hot mix asphalt (HMA) plant within the 4.3 square mile community of East Flat Rock. Attempting to compare their projected emissions to the all of the cars, trucks, and SUVs already owned by residents and driven in our community, they neglected [...]
Jobs, Jobs, Jobs
One of the few “arguments” we’ve continually heard from those who are in favor of a building a hot mix asphalt plant in East Flat Rock is that it will bring in new jobs and, therefore, stimulate economic growth in the county. But just how many new jobs will the proposed plant create? At first, it was 6-7 new full-time [...]