SF city director Mike Cooper doesn’t seem to be concerned about our drinking water, because it is a ‘County Issue’

Yummy! Tastes like rusty nails!

TJN Enterprises, a metal recycling operation is planning to move their operation near the city’s aquifer, and this move is being appealed at Monday’s city council meeting, Item #11 (citizen appeal);

Conditional Use Permit Appeal (2011-08-11): 6011 – 6700 E. Rice St. The Conditional Use Permit was to allow a metal recycling processing facility. The Planning Commission approved the conditional use permit with the following stipulations: 1) Final Landscaping Plans with berms, screening and schedule of plants to be submitted to the Planning Office for final approval by the Planning Director/Designee; 2) A Site Management Plan will require approval of the Planning & Health Departments prior to the issuance of building permits; 3) Maximum height for evergreen (coniferous) trees used as part of the screening shall be six (6) feet.

STORMLAND TV did a story about it. Mike Cooper commented;

We checked with the city, and the Director of Planning and Building Services said Harkless may be referencing a county ordinance.

“The city sometime ago amended our ordinances. We changed the definition of a salvage yard to a salvage operation. We made that as an allowed use,” Director of Planning and Building Services Mike Cooper said.

See the Big Sioux Aquifer map.

A South DaCola foot soldier sent me this;

The appellant owns the house/land across the road from the proposed TJN site, which happened to be the “first” preferred site for the relocated railroad switchyard.  As you review the shallow Aquifer map … the latest proposed/relocated site for the Railroad Switchyard near Brandon is northeast of the TJN site, and directly over a large portion of the aquifer.  I have to think this will become a sticking point in that matter, even if it has no impact on Monday night’s Council vote on the TJN relocation decision.  At least the appellant is forcing the Council to weigh in on this, and making them aware of the aquifer issue in that vicinity as the Railroad matter moves forward.  A public hearing is expected next month.  Expect a large turnout from Brandon.

IMO, the city is just trying to get TJN off of their backs. After they were denied space in the old stockyards location (which I thought was a perfect place for them) because Vern ‘The Velvet Hammer’ Brown was concerned about a scrap yard so close to Falls Park (Never mind their is a polluting, stinky, slaughter house across the road!) Cooper vowed to do anything to help TJN find a different location (I kind of wonder if their wasn’t some idle threats going on from TJN?) Either way, I am not opposed to switching yards and scrap yards on the outskirts of town, I am however concerned that it may pollute our water. Not cool.