OBSERVER Photo by Gregory Bacon Glenn Laurie spoke at the Chautauqua County Planning Board about concerns he has over a proposed gravel pit on Old Route 20 in the town of Ripley.

Some Ripley and Westfield residents are speaking out against a proposed gravel pit.

A 15-page letter with 13 signatures was submitted to the Chautauqua County Planning Board over the proposed Ripley Gravel Mine by Jamestown Macadam Inc.

Jamestown Macadam is seeking a Special Use Permit from the Ripley Town Board for a sand and gravel mine at 9087 Old Route 20, Ripley. The application went before the county Planning Board for its approval.

The application did not have a completed State Environmental Quality Review study and therefore the planning board did not vote on the project’s approval at its recent meeting.

In the letter, residents expressed concerns about impacts to groundwater supply, impact to local farms, noise impacts, dust, visual impacts, stormwater impacts, increased truck traffic, reduced neighborhood safety, and the “overall degradation of the quality of life for residents of the region.”

Glenn Laurie, who was one of the individuals who signed the letter, spoke at the planning board meeting.

“We’re all concerned about the quality and quantity of our water,” he said.

Planning Board Chairman Doug Bowman is a former supervisor for the town of Ripley. He said this proposal has been around for a few years.

“It was discussed in ’21 and ’22 so it’s been hanging out there for a while. They can’t seem to get their ducks in a row to provide information,” he said.

Planning Board member Jeff Gossett said there’s about a dozen residents who live nearby and their quality of life can be affected.

“The first thing that comes to my mind is dust. There’s noise when you’re crushing gravel, screening it and washing it. God knows how many trucks will be in and out of there every day,” he said.

The proposed operations run from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. from April until the fall.

“That’s just a huge burden on people that live out there,” Gossett said.

Once the application is complete, the county Planning Board will vote on the project. If the county Planning Board votes against it, it doesn’t stop the project, but it would require a super-majority of the Ripley Town Board for a Special Use Permit.

If the county Planning Board votes in favor, the Ripley Town Board would still have the final say but would only need a majority of votes.