Homeowners who live near a proposed underground mining venture made one thing perfectly clear at a public hearing last week at the Mike Onka Memorial Building in Sugar Creek, Mo.

"We just want LaFarge to go away and give us our homes back," said Lavonne Spicer, when asked by Sugar Creek Planning Commissioner Susan Davis if there were any concessions LaFarge North America might make that could sway homeowners.

Spicer’s comment was met by applause from more than 100 people who attended the third hearing in as many months to oppose a rezoning request made by LaFarge to mine limestone on property that borders a heavily populated residential area in unincorporated Jackson County.

Spicer serves as president of the Cedar Crest, Swearingen, Farview Concerned Citizens, an organization opposed to mining in its neighborhood. She said all that homeowners have received from LaFarge, who has been mining for limestone below WinterStone Golf Course in Independence for nearly eight years, are “broken promises, violations, and lack of respect.”

She added that while she could not speak on behalf of all 1,400 homeowners who would be impacted by the mining plans, she was confident that she did speak for most. She said that one of her goals is to speak for homeowners too old and weak to attend the hearing.

“I see the worry in their eyes, hear the anxiety in their voices,” she said. “They thank me for being their voice. And then they ask me, ‘Do you think we'll win?’”

Spicer submitted letters of opposition to commissioners from homeowners who could not attend the meeting, as well as a letter of opposition from Sen. Matt Bartle (R), Blue Springs.

Bartle joins other public officials who have voiced opposition to the mining venture, including Mo. state Sen. Victor Callahan (D), Independence; Mo. state Rep. Curt Dougherty (D), Sugar Creek; members of the Jackson County Legislature; Independence Mayor Don Reimal and all Independence City Council Members; and the Fort Osage School District.

Jim Thompson, vice president of the Concerned Citizens group and an engineer who has voluntarily monitored blasting levels at WinterStone, said he could not envision any scenario where homeowners would change their minds about the mining venture, nor could he conceive that LaFarge would be willing to lower blasting levels.

“I’m 99.99 percent positive LaFarge would never offer that," he said. He added that in October alone, Lafarge exceeded blasting levels five out of 13 times.

“LaFarge didn’t keep their word in the past,” he said. “We can’t trust them now and we won’t trust them in the future.”

John Pennell, Independence political activist and former aide to Jackson County Legislator Bob Stringfield, echoed Thompson’s sentiment, adding that LaFarge “is not a good neighbor.”

He presented documents showing that LaFarge has been slow to pay its debts to local workers until threatened with lawsuits.

“It also needs to be a matter of public record that the city of Sugar Creek and LaFarge are business partners,” Pennell said, holding a folder filled with lease agreements between Sugar Creek and Lafarge. Sugar Creek provided tax increment financing to LaFarge to develop its local mining operation and is still repaying its debts.

Mike Inman, a homeowner who said he would be impacted by the mining venture, said he feared the value of his home, as well as his neighbors’ homes, would plummet if the city allowed LaFarge to mine.

“People have worked hard all of their lives,” he said, gesturing to the audience composed largely of elderly people, many who were yawning and fighting sleep as the meeting grew late.

Amy Niccum, a real estate agent from Independence, confirmed if mining is allowed in this neighborhood, “home values will go down.”

Niccum said she and her family attend New Hope Baptist Church, one of four churches that will be impacted by the mining venture. She said recently her children picked apples at the church but she was fearful to allow her children to eat them because of their suspect appearance.

“I asked a lady at the church, ‘What’s wrong with those apples?’ She told me that it was from the dust from WinterStone,” Niccum said.

Eight representatives for LaFarge also attended the meeting, some who presented testimony following public comment.

Dr. Cathy Aimone-Martin, an adviser who has nearly 40 years of experience in the mining and construction industries, presented testimony saying that studies show that current blasting levels at WinterStone could not possibly cause structural damage to homes. She said most damage to home is a result of environmental factors, such as rain and wind.

However, Thompson pointed out that Aimone-Martin was using data based upon blasting levels at WinterStone, which is in Independence, and not based upon blasting levels set in Sugar Creek, which he said could be four times higher.

Bill Moore, an attorney for LaFarge, said LaFarge has already made concessions, including scaling back the amount of land to be mined by nearly half the acreage; reducing the amount of mining time from 10 years to five years; and increasing the set-back of the mining operation from the nearest homes. To help reduce dust emissions, LaFarge also will purchase a wheel wash and pave a strip of roadway leading from the mine to the exit off Kentucky Road.

Moore also said that LaFarge was in contact with two area developers regarding developing the land surface after mining was completed and for commissioners to consider the potential for increased tax revenues that would benefit the city.

Brent Baker, general manager at the LaFarge plant, admitted that Lafarge has failed homeowners in the past; however, he promised in the future that would change. He proposed implementing a hotline that homeowners could call if they encountered problems. He also said that some homeowners could qualify for pre-blasting surveys.

Planning Commissioners followed by asking questions of the eight members of the LaFarge team, who sometimes appeared not to know the answers and to pass the questions off to other members, who also appeared not to know the answers.

Commissioners voted to continue the hearing until Dec. 11 so they could further discuss the issue and also allow them time to tour the LaFarge mining operation at WinterStone. Testimony will no longer be heard from the public or LaFarge representatives. Commissioners could decide to vote on the rezoning request at this next meeting.

For more information, call the City of Sugar Creek at 816-252-4400 or visit www.sugar-creek.mo.us.