MOUNT DESERT — The reclamation plan for a controversial granite quarry in the village of Hall Quarry has been judged inadequate by the planning board here against the advice of the town attorney.
That decision is expected to be appealed to the town’s zoning board of appeals.
Harold MacQuinn Inc., which owns the six-acre quarry, and Freshwater Stone & Brickwork Inc., which is leasing it, had submitted a plan for restoring the site to its natural state once quarrying operations had permanently ceased.
The board voted not to approve the plan at its Aug. 27 meeting and signed off on the wording of that decision Monday night.
The town’s land use zoning ordinance does not specifically refer to quarrying as an approved use, but it does allow “mineral extraction” in most zoning districts. The planning board recently ruled that quarrying qualifies as mineral extraction.
Even if MacQuinn and Freshwater win their appeal, it is uncertain whether quarrying could take place anytime soon.
On Nov. 6, voters in Mount Desert will decide whether to impose a moratorium on mineral extraction in the town to allow time for the ordinance governing that activity to be reviewed and, possibly, amended.
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