Concrete Plant Proposed for Route 9

Century Aggregates runs gravel, sand mine 

A sand and gravel mining company on Route 9 near the Putnam-Dutchess line, whose expansion last year alarmed nearby residents, has proposed opening a concrete plant at the site.

Century Aggregates, which owns 310 acres traversed by Clove Creek, on Dec. 12 asked the Fishkill Planning Board for approval to construct an 8,000-square-foot mixing plant on 5 acres west of the waterway. The plant would operate between 5 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays and 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Fridays, but longer if needed, according to documents presented to the board. 

Mixing trucks and employees would access the plant and its 11 parking spaces by using an entrance opposite Carol Lane. They would reach the plant by crossing an existing bridge over Clove Creek, a state and federally protected stream. 

Century Aggregates, which has a 75-acre gravel and sand mine east of the creek, estimates that the plant would require 10,000 gallons of water daily, 15,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity monthly and six 1,000-gallon propane tanks to heat water during the winter. The company would also demolish a pavilion dating to when the property was home to the Snow Valley RV campground, and tear down an old building. 

A traffic study concluded that 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. would be the busiest, with concrete mixers returning every two hours, but that the plant would only “marginally change” the number of vehicles accessing the property. A noise study found that the plant would be “well below” the threshold for impacting residents. 

Despite those conclusions, Jonathan Kanter, who chairs the Planning Board, said its members must be “particularly aware and sensitive to any possible impacts” on Carol Lane residents.

Some of those residents raised concerns when Century received approval to relocate the entrance to its property across from Carol Lane. The company also received approval to expand its mining operation by 12 acres and to excavate an estimated 750,000 cubic yards of sand and gravel over five years. 

Ed Bushek, who lives on Carol Lane, said during the Planning Board meeting on Dec. 12 that he learned to swim as a camper at Snow Valley. He pointed out that Cranesville Block Co. already operates a concrete plant north of Carol Lane and expressed concern that the project would impact native species like the timber rattlesnake and spread cement dust.

“Is this just the beginning, where they’re going to start with this and then expand and expand, and that whole Snow Valley will be covered with concrete and cement mixing plants?” he asked.