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Syar Loses at NTCPA
Syar Loses at NTCPA
Kathy Felch | Jun 23, 2015 on: Syar Expansion
NVR: Transportation planners take no position on quarry expansion
On June 17th Syar Industries failed in its attempt to get a letter of support from the Napa County Transportation and Planning Agency. Syar representatives met with Agency Executive Director Kate Miller to pitch the alleged cost-savings to all the public entities within the County of Napa of having the Napa quarry expand. Miller, in turn, presented Syar's request to the Board for its consideration "pending receipt of further information from Syar."
Representatives of the citizens' group, Stop Syar Expansion, Vision 2050, the Green Party and Latinos Unidos urged the Board to deny Syar's request. Steve Booth of Stop Syar Expansion presented carefully researched information, based on the County's public entities' purchase records from Syar for the past 10 years and on Syar's own data, that there is sufficient material in the existing quarry to satisfy Napa County's needs for almost 7,000 years, not the 4-5 years Syar is marketing to support its expansion request.
Belying Syar's claim of necessity, Syar's own data, also presented to the Board, shows that 85% of trucks leaving its Napa quarry turn south and go out of Napa County, carrying its products to other areas and that this will pattern will continue if the expansion request is granted.
The Board was also alerted to Syar's exclusive dependence on groundwater and that its well for its industrial operation lies in the Milliken-Sarco-Tulocay Groundwater Deficient Area. Latinos Unidos representative, Xulio Sariano, cautioned the Board about the increased health risk to a largely Latino residential neighborhood just to the north of the proposed expansion area. Sariano's 8 year old niece warned of the loss of habitat for wild animals if Syar was allowed to chew up the hills bordering Skyline Park.
Thankfully, the Board saw Syar's request for a letter from the NCTPA as an end-run around the Planning Commission process and voted to stay out of what was considered an obviously controversial subject with seriously disputed facts. There were no votes in support of sending Syar's requested letter.
NVR: Transportation planners take no position on quarry expansion
On June 17th Syar Industries failed in its attempt to get a letter of support from the Napa County Transportation and Planning Agency. Syar representatives met with Agency Executive Director Kate Miller to pitch the alleged cost-savings to all the public entities within the County of Napa of having the Napa quarry expand. Miller, in turn, presented Syar's request to the Board for its consideration "pending receipt of further information from Syar."
Representatives of the citizens' group, Stop Syar Expansion, Vision 2050, the Green Party and Latinos Unidos urged the Board to deny Syar's request. Steve Booth of Stop Syar Expansion presented carefully researched information, based on the County's public entities' purchase records from Syar for the past 10 years and on Syar's own data, that there is sufficient material in the existing quarry to satisfy Napa County's needs for almost 7,000 years, not the 4-5 years Syar is marketing to support its expansion request.
Belying Syar's claim of necessity, Syar's own data, also presented to the Board, shows that 85% of trucks leaving its Napa quarry turn south and go out of Napa County, carrying its products to other areas and that this will pattern will continue if the expansion request is granted.
The Board was also alerted to Syar's exclusive dependence on groundwater and that its well for its industrial operation lies in the Milliken-Sarco-Tulocay Groundwater Deficient Area. Latinos Unidos representative, Xulio Sariano, cautioned the Board about the increased health risk to a largely Latino residential neighborhood just to the north of the proposed expansion area. Sariano's 8 year old niece warned of the loss of habitat for wild animals if Syar was allowed to chew up the hills bordering Skyline Park.
Thankfully, the Board saw Syar's request for a letter from the NCTPA as an end-run around the Planning Commission process and voted to stay out of what was considered an obviously controversial subject with seriously disputed facts. There were no votes in support of sending Syar's requested letter.