WATERFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — Residents in Waterford Township are continuing to voice their frustrations over a concrete crushing company that they say is routinely in operation, noisy and could be causing air pollution.
Concerned residents plan to speak with township officials during a meeting Monday evening. While it was the township’s planning commission that approved the concrete crushing project, residents are expressing their concerns with the board of trustees.
They're hoping for feedback.
"What I want — I want answers. I don't want to just be heard. I want answers to why," resident Wesley Evans said.
Evans recorded audio coming from Bell Site Development, which has a concrete crushing operation.
Evans said he wants to know why its allowed to operate.
I first spoke with residents in April about their noise and dust concerns. Mary Craite, who is running for township supervisor, spoke with me again on Monday. She said the company was told to halt operations but in August, residents noticed it started again.
Watch our April report in the video player below:
“So in March, they voted this down to even bring this concrete crushing facility to Waterford. And then by April when you (reporter Darren Cunningham) met with us, they put in requirements that he would have to have a berm and plant so many trees and all of this, and so we were waiting for that to happen. And then all of a sudden in August, we find out that there was some kind of a meeting with a performance bond and now, he's back open for business," Craite said.
I reached out to the township, which declined an on-camera interview. But in a statement to 7 News Detroit, the director of development services, Jeffrey Polkowski, laid out the conditions Bell Site must follow in order to continue to operate under a $97,000 performance bond paid by the company.
"So, we have a lot of questions about who's measuring the wind speed? Who's taking care of making sure that the water is taking care, that the pond isn't being contaminated?" Craite said.
“So, my hope with tonight's meeting is that we put the board on notice that we do care about our community, that we do care about our environment and we're not going away until they answer our questions."
I spoke to owner of Bell Site Development, Mike Reis, on the phone. He pointed out he is operating in an industrial zone and says he's doing everything he can to be a good neighbor.
"Some of their concerns were we were just going to go in and work and not development the property, and that was never our intention,” Reis said. “We want to be able to work while we development the property. That's the whole point, so we put a performance bond in place that holds us accountable, which is a good thing for not only ourselves but the township and its surrounding neighbors.
“So, we want to do our absolute best to be the best neighbor that we can while also providing for ourselves, our family and community."
