City Council to decide on Aluminum Castings rezoning on 2nd July Monday

After weeks of debate and investigation in to whether an expanded Aluminum Castings would produce hazardous pollutants and noxious odors, the City Council will decide on Monday whether to allow a rezoning so the company can expand at its current location.

In a proposed $2 million project that would increase production and add up to 25 workers, Aluminum Castings has asked the city to allow the company to conduct heavy industrial work in its current building and in adjacent buildings the company has recently purchased. Right now the area only allows for light industrial work, and some say allowing for heavier work could pollute too close to the downtown business district.

Peter Schwartzman, Ward 5, raised concerns about whether an expanded plant would cause distress to those patronizing downtown businesses and harm children at nearby daycare centers. After a first reading of the Aluminum Castings ordinance, Schwartzman said the city should help the company relocate to one of many empty buildings already zoned for heavy industrial work.

Schwartzman then submitted nine questions regarding the expansion that he said would help him to make an informed decision on the matter. Aluminum Castings and the city released their responses to Schwartman’s questions last week, and the numbers regarding the company’s total pollution reveal it to be one of 3,000 sources of pollution that account for only 1 percent of the state’s entire air pollutants.

Schwartzman said he did research independent of the investigation the city and the company did. A report he submitted to The Register-Mail verified other findings that said Aluminum Castings is a minor polluter, although some of the chemicals the company emits can irritate internal organs. However, Schwartzman said there is not enough information on the books (the EPA hasn’t visited the company’s facility since 2000, he said) for him to reach a decision on the rezoning at this time.

Schwartzman said he will continue to hear input from his district and will vote according to his constituents’ views on the issue. He said about six have approached him on the issue and their views are evenly divided.

Due to insufficient available data and having no concrete numbers on what pollution an expanded manufacturer would produce, Schwartzman said the council’s decision on Monday comes down to “risk adversity.”

“How much are people willing to risk, not only health wise, but business wise, as well,” he said.

Schwartzman said the slight backlash he has received for even opening this line of questioning is distressing, and that his desire for more information on the matter shouldn’t brand him as anti-business.

“One of the things I’ve learned that I am disappointed about is the adversity to inquiry,” he said. “I’m from a background where information is vital to decision making.”

No other alderman has vocally opposed granting the rezoning to allow for expansion, and Wayne Dennis, Ward 2, and Wayne Allen, Ward 6, both said they favored allowing the expansion.

The planning and zoning commission, City Manager Todd Thompson and Director of Community Development Roy Parkin recommend allowing the rezoning.

Also on Monday, the council will decide whether to approve a grant application for the purchase of two hybrid buses for the Galesburg transit system. The city’s Public Transportation Advisory Commission is all but certain it will secure more than $1 million in federal money to purchase two buses and some spare bus parts.

Members of the commission have test-ridden hybrid buses that also operate electronically at low speeds, which will save money on gas and will make for a quieter ride.

The council also will conduct a first reading of an ordinance to approve the sale of two vacant lots, one at 616 Indiana Ave. and one north of 743 Pennsylvania Ave.