Trending
Steve St. George was, in fact, granted a special use permit to operate a concrete and asphalt recycling yard at a property he owns in the town. At the third Zoning Board hearing regarding the project, held in October, the Board granted the permit with a list of conditions attached.
A previous OBSERVER article erroneously reported the project was still awaiting approval, citing Zoning Board discussions held in October 2025 -- the first of three hearings -- rather than the most recent discussions held in October 2026, as the project received approval.
On Oct. 6, the Town of Pomfret Zoning Board of Appeals granted St. George a special use permit for recycling operations at 3624 Webster Road, Fredonia. The property was formerly used for grape vineyards.
St. George operates S. St. George Enterprises, a construction company that often works with roadways in the region. St. George sought a permit to recycle the materials from his company on site. Initially, a building permit at the site was denied because the use was not defined under the zoning code's acceptable uses.
Members of the Zoning Board recently conducted a site visit, during which the equipment was run at full speed and volume. The decibels were measured and the readings did not pass the threshold to require ear protection. Chairman David Fridmann spoke with the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), who provided documentation that authorized the operations until 2031. The DEC will continue to monitor the project.
The Zoning Board was required to evaluate the project under the State Environmental Quality Review Act guidelines. The Board issued a negative declaration, meaning that the project does not negatively impact the environment.
In granting St. George approval, the Zoning Board restricted operation of recycling equipment to weekdays between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., aside from delivery or transport from the site. Operation of recycling equipment is restricted to 50 days annually. If the operations grow in scale to require more than 50 days annually, another special use permit application must be filed.
The September hearing featured objections from roughly a dozen residents in attendance from the community neighboring the site. Residents shared concerns with noise, dust, well water contamination, hours of operation, and lighting. The Board also highlighted concerns with environmental impacts.
St. George stated he is following Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) regulations, and the site has been inspected by the State. He stated that prior to recycling, the concrete and asphalt is "no different" than any other roadway. Regarding setbacks, St. George stated the operations would take place 500 to 1,000 feet from the nearest residence.
St. George stated the concrete and asphalt recycling would only happen once enough material is collected to make it worth the time and effort. He hopes that will amount to 10-15 days a year, at least initially. St. George also said that the equipment would be located in a heavy metal chamber and there is not much dust created by the recycling, but water trucks are on site to address excess dust if necessary. He does not anticipate a noticeable increase in traffic.