Wisconsin-based Putnam County Stone has formally requested to withdraw its controversial rezoning application to establish a rock quarry alongside Dennis Station Road. The move could halt what was expected to be one of the county’s most closely watched public hearings in years, though questions remain about whether the proposal may eventually return.
The request was revealed by County Attorney Adam Nelson near the end of the June 5 meeting of the Putnam County Board of Commissioners. Nelson told commissioners that county staff had received correspondence from the quarry applicant indicating its intention to officially seek withdrawal during the upcoming July 2 Planning and Zoning (P&Z) Commission meeting.
If approved, the withdrawal would effectively end the current rezoning process and eliminate the need for the public hearing currently scheduled afterward.
Nelson explained that while the applicant described the request as a withdrawal “without prejudice,” zoning requests are different from legal cases because property owners generally retain the ability to reapply after waiting periods established by state law and local ordinances.
“The rock’s not going to go somewhere else in the meantime,” Nelson said of the large, underground granite deposit across the road from the Interfor lumber plant. He suggested it would be reasonable to assume future requests involving the property could eventually emerge.
Nelson said, under county ordinances, once a rezoning request has been publicly advertised, either the P&Z Commission or Board of Commissioners must formally approve withdrawal. If P&Z approves the withdrawal July 2, he added, further action by commissioners would be unnecessary.
Commissioner Steve Hersey of District 3 asked whether residents should still attend the July meeting and expressed skepticism about the applicant’s intentions, pointing to a planned job fair connected to the project.
“It just appears to me that their motion to withdraw at the same time they’re holding a job fair says they are going to bring this back,” Hersey said.
Interim County Manager Byron Lombard cautioned against viewing withdrawal as unusual, saying such requests are commonly granted and warning that refusing one could create legal complications. He added that applicants often modify proposals significantly before resubmitting them, particularly after receiving community feedback or concerns from elected officials.
“My understanding is that they intend to or likely would change their application significantly,” Lombard said.
County officials also discussed preparations for the July 2 meeting should large crowds still attend. Lombard said that after speaking with Putnam County Fire Chief Thomas McClain, he learned modifications to the current meeting arrangements would allow the commission chamber to accommodate approximately 220 people (about 30 more than previously considered full capacity), with additional overflow space available in the county administration building’s rotunda, using video displays.
Although commissioners acknowledged that opposition may decrease now that withdrawal has been requested, they encouraged residents who remain interested in the rezoning matter to attend the July 2 P&Z meeting, where the withdrawal request itself will be considered.