INGALLS — Newco Metals is scheduled to meet with Ingalls Board of Zoning Appeals at 7 p.m. Oct. 21 at town hall, in its effort to build a smelting plant near Interstate 69 and State Road 13.
“Currently, they are a scrap yard and they are applying for a use variance for a smelting plant,” Ingalls town council president Justin Gardner said during a regular meeting Sept. 23.
Newco previously requested a variance to build a new scrap metal facility but has changed its request to a smelting facility to better reflect the activities that would take place there.
In August, a legal representative of Newco Metals approached the town council requesting an amendment to extend a tax abatement resolution for the development and was informed that the council would not act on any request until there was approval from the BZA.
“As far as this board is concerned, there is nothing we can do with (the abatement) right now,” Gardner said Sept. 23. “When they came here in August, they wanted to refresh everybody. They were told they were going to have to go to the BZA, and that’s the process they are going with now.
“Without the BZA (approval), there is no sense in offering an abatement on a project that isn’t going to pan out. If they don’t get their use variance, it doesn’t matter.”
Initially, Newco was to meet with the BZA in August, but the meeting, though it had a quorum, did not have a full five-member board. It was given a continuance to the Oct. 21 date, using the legal right to have its petition heard by a full board.
The BZA now has five members with Cherylyn Eby approved as the newest addition at the town council meeting on Sept. 23.
At the council meeting, town council vice president Tim Green voiced his disapproval of the Newco development, stating that, among other things, it would negatively impact nearby property values.
Green made a motion to rescind the town’s previous approval of tax abatement for Newco.
That motion died without a second.
Town attorney Gregg Morelock advised that any action taken by the council at the meeting would not be “legally responsible” without the company having an opportunity to respond to Green’s concerns.
The town has added a note about the Newco expansion at townofingalls.us, asking for people with concerns about the development to submit them at [email protected].
The note states emails and information will be collected and given to the BZA board prior to its meeting later this month.
The town also encourages residents to attend the meeting.
“Right now, it is in the BZA’s hands,” Gardner added. “Everything is pending their approval, because they (Newco) are filing for a use variance.”
In other town council news, the next council meeting has been moved from its normal second Monday of the month to Tuesday, Oct. 15 at 6:30 p.m. The change is in observance of Columbus Day on Oct. 14.
