Montgomery Herald

The approximate 88 acre tract is divided between Candor’s jurisdiction and the county’s. Candor commissioners approved requests related to the project following a public hearing at their meeting earlier in October.

The county rezoning involves approximately 18 to 20 acres of the 54-acre tract owned by Ewing Family LLC/Catherine Ewing. Part of the parcel is already zoned Industrial. The Ewings also requested a conditional use permit for the biodiesel plant.

A second tract, approximately seven acres owned by Walter and Shirley McKenzie, is already zoned Industrial and their request was for a conditional use permit.

Steven Witt, representing Savage Acquisitions and partners in the biodiesel project, stated that he was also representing the Ewing family. He said earlier plans, which had included use of municipal waste to produce the biodiesel, had been scrapped after the partners secured a long term contract to buy cane sugar, which was their first choice all along.

Raw product coming in and finished product going out of the plant will be done by rail. “We had originally calculated 100 trucks a day and that’s now down to virtually nothing. There will be minimal truck traffic,” Witt stated.

According to Witt, approximately two-thirds of the property will be warehousing, some of which could be leased to other companies, with the rest set aside for biodiesel production. In a follow-up interview to the meeting, Witt said one of the companies interested in warehouse space is a major supplier to Home Depot.

In response to questions from the board, Witt said the group has no problem with increasing the required buffer zone from 50 to 100 feet. A landscape berm is also planned. He said byproducts, glycerin and material that will be sold as livestock feed, will be shipped out by rail.

Asked about the safety of the process, Witt said the distillation process is safe and the product isn’t petroleum based so is less combustible.

Witt, who lives in Moore County, said the Montgomery County property was chosen because it has several advantages. The tract, much of which was already zoned Industrial, is large enough to support the project, is close to 220 and the interstate, and has rail access. Candor has also agreed to provide water and sewer.

He said the group has already met with N.C. DOT officials, who have agreed to upgrade the railroad crossing and make road improvements to the site. The group has also requested a traffic light at their main entrance and offered to pay for it.

According to Witt, 90 percent of the product will be sold to the Department of Defense (DOD) and the project is expected to employ approximately 80 workers in management and skilled labor, with a total investment of approximately $150 million.

Regarding the DOD contracts, Witt clarified statements at the meeting by saying, “There are many issues that need to be addressed until such contracts can be finalized. We have had discussions and mutual agreements to the body of the contract. However, in order to obtain these contracts, our process and final product will undergo rigorous testing so that we become ISO certified. Once we obtain this certification, the contracts will be executed and product transported.”

A number of residents expressed concerns and raised questions. Vance Caudill, who owns adjacent property, said he isn’t necessarily opposed but had questions about statements made at the Candor meeting.

“I believe it’s a good idea as long as they maintain their agreement,” he said. He asked about the possibility of methane and heavy metals related to the process, noise from grinders to pulverize the cane and containment facilities for byproducts.

Witt said gas or LP gas will be used to start the process, which reaches temperatures of 1,200 to 1,800 degrees. Methane will be recirculated and reused and the cane is already granulized when brought in so no grinders will be needed. “There are no heavy metals in sugarcane and the process doesn’t produce heavy metals,” Witt stated. He also noted that federal and state environmental agencies, as well as the DOD will monitor the process, which is designed to be better than California’s stringent standards for air quality.

Others questioned his claims about little truck traffic if the site will be home to warehousing. Witt reiterated that DOT has agreed to traffic controls. Richard Lamonds brought up the potential for odor and questioned why the group had chosen a site near residential areas. In response to a question from McRae, Lamonds admitted he knew the property was zoned Industrial when he bought it.

Others asked how many of the jobs would benefit county residents. Witt said five engineering jobs would be filled from outside the county. “We’re trying to absorb the rest from this locale. The point was to design the plant to benefit the county and we are not asking for any county tax incentives. Our goal is to hire here,” he stated.

David Evans, another area resident, said he still feels there are potential dangers that outweigh advantages, and said he feels the project would be better suited for an industrial park. “The area is still residential regardless of the zoning,” he said, and questioned how well regulatory agencies would oversee the plant.

Two people spoke in favor of the requests. Montgomery EDC Director Judy Stevens noted that the county has lost thousands of jobs in the last several years. “This is an industry of the future and I feel it will fit well and be okay with people. I believe they’ll do what they say,” she stated.

Lawrence Lamonds, who lives across the road from the proposed plant and knew it was zoned Industrial, said he worked 20 years in textiles before being laid off and getting a job at Unilin, which he said is stringently regulated and has 60 to 65 percent of its employees who live in the county. He also noted that Witt’s group offered to provide a Power Point presentation with details of the process to the county and neighbors to help answer questions.

“I can’t understand people in this county who don’t want progress…I sat at the Candor meeting and here today. I’ve been here 35 years and all I’ve heard is why can’t we bring in high paying jobs,” he said. “Years ago a few families kept business out, now that’s not so much. Let people make a living…I can’t understand why people in this county are so objected to change.”

Board members noted that state and federal agencies are responsible for permitting and regulating the business, and that the county’s only authority is over zoning and conditional use permits.

In recommending approval of the conditional use permits, the board included a number of stipulations: the expanded buffer zone, receipt of all state and federal permits, the stated improvements by DOT and that the process will use only cane sugar. Should the cane contracts fall through at some future time, the company would have to come back to the county for another conditional use in order to use a different raw material.

In other business, the board:

• Recommended approval of a one-foot side set back variance for Armin Leith in Emerald Shores, after he agreed to move steps from the side to the front of the deck.

• Recommended approval of rear and side setback variances for Mark and Cheryl Smith to build a room addition in Dixie Shores.

• Tabled for further study a rezoning from R-3 to Commercial for Russell and Catherine Walker on Okeeweemee Road. The Walkers want to build a retail gun shop and provide shooting classes, which was opposed by neighbors.

• Tabled two other setback variances, for George McDowell and Robert Glisson, brought back from previous meetings. None of the parties was at the meeting.