Action taken to block heavy industrial use

GENTRY — Recommended by the Gentry Planning Commission after a public hearing and passed by the Gentry City Council was an ordinance amending the city’s comprehensive plan in order to add a restriction against heavy industrial uses within Gentry’s planning jurisdiction.

Included in the definition of heavy industrial uses are salvage or reclamation services; smelting, metal processing or similar activities; commercial recycling, asphalt shingle grinding, tire shredding or grinding; construction or demolition recycling or processing activities; and other industrial recovery operations that would include but not be limited to dismantling, crushing and/or baling of vehicles, construction materials or similar operations.

The ordinance was recommended unanimously by the Planning and Zoning Commission after receiving complaints from property owners about a recycling facility which opened briefly without proper permits along Old Highway 59 south of Gentry but within the city ofGentry’s planning jurisdiction.

(See accompanying article on USA Metal’s permit application to operate a recycling business near Gentry.)

The commission considered two proposals, the first restricting heavy industrial use in the specific area of the new recycling facility and the second restricting such use in all land outside the city limits but within the city’s planning jurisdiction. The commission chose the second and recommended it for quick action by the council and with an emergency clause attached to make it effective immediately upon passage.

Jim Jensen, who lives close to the proposed recycling facility, thanked the city for taking action to prevent heavy industrial use there and said he and other residents need to consider annexation into Gentry.

On Monday, the council took that action to amend its comprehensive plan, effectively blocking the use of any lands within its planning jurisdiction from the above-mentioned heavy industrial use.

Though the new ordinance does not prevent heavy in-dustrial uses in industrial zones within the city, new lands coming into the city would likely come in zoned for agricultural and residential purposes, according to commission member Mike Parks, meaning property owners would have to request a zoning change from the city before using land for such purposes.