Vulcan’s expansion proposal goes forward – without asphalt plant

The Vulcan plant is in an industrial area near Interstate 395, the beltway, and Edsall Road.

The Fairfax County Planning Commission passed motions June 14 calling for the Board of Supervisors approve rezoning and special exception applications from Vulcan Materials that would allow the company to reconfigure and expand its concrete batching plant on Industrial Drive in Springfield.

Vulcan had withdrawn from its application a plan for a future asphalt plant on its 41,000-square foot property. Residents who live near Vulcan campaigned against the asphalt plant, raising concerns about air quality, odors, noise, and declining property values.

If the company wants to come back later with a more detailed proposal for an asphalt plant, it would have to go through another public hearing process.

The proposals endorsed by the Planning Commission would allow Vulcan to consolidate its existing concrete batching plants, construct a maintenance building and office buildings, and increase the maximum height of its silos from 75 to 135 feet.

The rezoning application would rezone a portion of the land occupied by Vulcan from R-2 (residential) to I-6 (heavy industrial) to match the rest of its property. The special exception is needed to change how the property is used and to set development conditions and proffers.

The revised development conditions approved by the Planning Commission address residents’ concerns by requiring Vulcan to set up a 24-hour hotline for reporting problems, add a dust containment system, add more screening on Industrial Drive, and eliminate back-up alarms on trucks using neighborhood streets.

The board of Supervisors has scheduled a public hearing on the Vulcan applications July 10.