After a lengthy discussion last Monday night, the Oak Grove Town Board voted in favor of a request by Monarch Paving and landowner Riley/Romaro LLC for a Condition Use Permit that will allow a temporary hot mix asphalt site at W12495 Hwy. 10.

The plant will operate if Monarch Paving successfully attains the bid for blacktop work on the Prescott to River Falls Hwy. 29 road project slated for this summer.

Monarch representatives stressed that the plant will only be used during the paving part of the process, though the conditional use is to operate in the spring/summer 2021 construction season. Several neighbors questioned and opposed the project, citing chemicals that will be used, noise that will be created by trucks and the smell of the asphalt process.

The matter was forwarded to the board by recommendation of the plan commission, which approved the matter the week before.

Board members did ask that Monarch agree to communicate with neighbors and have a contact if there are complaints. It was asked that trees be cleared to allow for trucks leaving the facility to be seen. Monarch was also asked to make sure its hours of operation are reasonable.

In the end, while board members listened to concerns and voiced their own, the need to have the road work done swayed the vote.

“Everyone knows Hwy. 29 needs to be redone. We need good roads,” one citizen said.

It was also noted that there have been no complaints about the Monarch plant that operates in Trenton. The Oak Grove plant, located at a quarry site, is necessary because of its proximity to the Hwy. 29 project.

The 4-1 town board vote moves the matter to Pierce County Land Management. It will hold a hearing Feb. 17 at 6 p.m. The notice of that remote only meeting appears in the Public Notice section of this edition of The Journal.

Town Supervisor Michelle Huber was the lone dissenting vote, voicing environmental concerns. Voting in favor were Town Chairman Jerry Kosin and Supervisors Gary Huppert, Daniel Johnson and Debbie McClure.

Photo by John McLoone.