A quarry project that caused concerns among Cookeville residents has now changed ownership, and work will continue for multiple years to clear the site.
Rogers Group Vice President and Jonathan Niebel said the site at the intersection of Spring Street and Interstate 40 will take at least a decade to clear.
Niebel said the facility generates materials used for asphalt production and ready-mix concrete in addition to local infrastructure projects. Niebel said the supply chain supported the 10th Street expansion and the bridge replacement project in Monterey. Niebel said the most common complaint from residents remains truck noise.
“We try to keep those blasts as small as possible to avoid any complaints or damage,” Niebel said. “We do place a number of monitors around to make sure any vibration or noise is kept to a minimum level and within standards established by government agencies.”
Niebel said the company uses smaller charges than in previous decades and monitors vibrations to address concerns from residents regarding blasting and truck traffic.
“It depends on both demand for the product in the market and the reserves,” Niebel said. “But there is a finite amount of aggerate available on both sites.”
The site near Spring Street and Interstate 40 was previously the subject of a denied rezoning request by the Cookeville City Council following investigations into quarry activities. The previous owner cited the area as the next area for development in Cookeville.
Niebel said finding high-quality deposits on the Cumberland Plateau has become more difficult as regional development increases.
“We produce a product that everybody uses, whether they realize it or not,” Niebel said. “If you’re driving on a road or you’re in a building or such, it is a product that’s ingrained in everybody’s daily life.”
