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Hundreds of Lake Forest residents push back against concrete plant

A town hall Thursday brought out about 300 residents with various concerns.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Hundreds of angry homeowners packed an east Louisville church Thursday night to voice their frustrations with the new development planned near their community.

Lake Forest, in far east Jefferson County, is a quiet neighborhood and they want it to stay that way.

The town hall brought out about 300 residents, concerned about air quality, noise pollution and infrastructure; if SI Ready Mix is allowed to build the plant on Aiken Road.

"I think that with Aiken Road being a really, really narrow road and to have concrete trucks, not only the pollution and the dust sentiment, I think it’s going to be a negative to Lake Forest residents as well as neighbors of Lake Forest,” resident Alan Chazen said.

"You would never be able to wash your car in this neighborhood as a result of the cement plant,” resident Robert Boyle said.

Councilman Anthony Piagentini hosted the town hall, and brought out several city leaders, including those with the Air Pollution Control Board and Codes and Regulations.

The agencies attempted to answer resident's questions and ensured the plant's approval isn't a done deal.

Chazen isn't convinced.

"The conclusion's already made that they’re going to go ahead and move forward,” he said. “It’s just a matter of logistics.”

He, and others, want metro council to reconsider the industrial zoning that would allow the plant to be there at all.

"Lake Forest wasn't even around 40 years ago, so therefore we need to relook at that and determine whether or not it really warrants a concrete plant right across the street,” Chazen said.

SI Ready Mix did not speak at the meeting.

The company’s lawyer, John Talbott, sent the following statement on Tuesday:

“SI Ready Mix’s concrete mixing plant was unanimously approved through a publicly noticed hearing several months ago. The property is on property that has been zoned Industrial (M-3) for several decades, long pre-dating Lake Forest. All air pollution control regulations will be followed or exceeded, with state of the art air filtration systems being employed. Additionally, landscape buffers will be utilized to further shield the primary operations. This industrial area already includes a rock quarry, making the location appropriate to serve the tremendous construction growth in this area of our community. Even though no road improvements were required, SI Ready Mix further agreed to construct a left turn lane to alleviate potential traffic issues on Aiken Road. In obtaining its permits and approvals, SI Ready Mix has not only complied with all relevant regulations, it has exceeded them, which it will continue to do as good neighbor and to provide needed services for the area.”

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