Phasing Strategy
The reality of the situation, as we see it, is that the proposed Phasing Strategy presented by Meridian will not address any of the ‘issues’ that resulted in the formation and goals of the TEC, namely:
Removing ~9,000 trees and the associated foliage – it’ll just take a little longer to disappear (“Death by a Thousand Cuts“) BUT disappear they will!
Eliminating the animals (possibly endangered) – surely they’ll be long gone (one way or the other) once the first tree is cut (they know which way the wind blows!)
Adversely affecting house prices – we suspect that they will drop irrespective where they start quarrying and we also suspect they will continue to fall as the quarry gets closer and closer to the neighborhood. The Real Estate agents will surely know the Meridian Phasing plan and MUST provide to potential buyers the appropriate information when asked – to try to avoid the quarry expansion is NOT an option?
So far, to our knowledge, there has been no rehabilitation of the west and central quarries – have quarry owners just found a conscience? Can they be trusted? Look at the picture
Over the years the quarry has changed ‘owners’ numerous times and there have been multiple Operational Plans presented – essentially an Operational Plane defines how, when, and where the land will be quarried. The owners like their plans seem to be very fluid!
It is our opinion that having an adjacent Urban quarry is not like having a Good Neighbor – a quarry is a quarry is a quarry and there is no way we can see to ‘sweeten’ it or to hide it or to pretend it doesn’t exist!
Putting it bluntly, the latest Meridian proposal is not seen by us as a concession. It is simply a different Operational Plan that has changed many times in the past 2 – 3 years and can easily be changed at ANY time in the future – the end result will be the same!
If you are still concerned about your health, the removal of over 9,000 trees and the affect the quarry may have on the animals, foliage, and the tranquility of the neighborhood, if you are concerned about your house value and enjoy living in a pristine neighborhood, then JOIN the FIGHT against the Meridian quarry expansion!