A community meeting concerning a proposed 100,750-square-foot marble plant off Browns Bridge Road in West Hall is set for Tuesday night at the University of North Georgia’s Gainesville campus.

The meeting will take place in UNG’s Continuing Education Building auditorium, or Room 108,
starting at 6 p.m.

The room has been booked for three hours, said Donna Mincey, Mincey Marble president and CEO, in an email to residents and others.

Mincey is pursuing a zoning change that would enable construction of the plant across from its current operations at 4321 Browns Bridge Road — an issue that has stirred heated opposition among residents.

Concerns are varied, ranging from environmental worries to impacts on traffic, as Browns Bridge Road/Ga. 369 is a busy two-lane road that has been targeted for eventual widening.

One of the staunchest opponents, Lewis Miller, has said his main complaint is that Mincey’s plans aren’t compatible with the surrounding, mostly residential area.

“Not only that, residents are upset about the obnoxious smell of (the chemical) styrene (at the site),” Miller said.

Also, the building would be in “a blind spot and is a traffic hazard,” he said. “We’ve already had enough accidents and deaths on Browns Bridge. It will significantly impact local residential values and, therefore, real estate tax values.”

Also opposing the application, which goes before the Hall County Board of Commissioners on Aug. 25, is Hall County planning staff, which has recommended denial.

“Marble manufacturing may have an adverse effect on the existing residential properties,” a staff report states. “The proposed use is likely to produce obnoxious odors, noise, dust and possibly other objectionable conditions.”

Ed Myers, a civil engineer working with Mincey, has said that to address traffic concerns, the company is working with the Georgia Department of Transportation on new turn lanes off Browns Bridge Road at the property.

“We’re definitely going to try to improve traffic that goes through there,” he said.

Also, in addressing concerns about the project’s impact on neighboring Spainhill Road,
Myers said construction traffic wouldn’t use the road during the project and no driveways onto Spainhill are planned.

Myers also said that while the proposed building is next to residential properties, “there are pretty good natural buffers due to the hardwoods that are outside of what’s been graded.

“And we’re not anticipating removing any more trees from the site.”

The last public hearing before a government board on the issue was at a June 20 meeting of the
Hall County Planning Commission, which ended up recommending approval to the Board of Commissioners.

A large crowd showed at a July 11 county commission work session only to be told comments would be reserved for a public hearing on the issue at a July 14 public hearing.

And then, on July 14, the commission voted to postpone the decision until Aug. 25.