P&Z sends quarry proposal to Metro Council

7:30 a.m. March 4, 2026

DUANE CROSS
MCO Publisher•Editor

Plans to reopen a rock quarry in Tolleytown moved forward on Tuesday, March 3, when the Planning and Zoning Commission voted 5-0 to send Lynchburg Stone Inc.’s preliminary site plan to the Metro Council for review in a proposed rezoning case.

Scott Fruehauf, joined by engineer Nathan Tomberlin, told the board that the company plans to reopen operations at the former quarry site off Highway 50. He said blasting would be done by a licensed third-party contractor, not by the company itself.

The quarry has a long local history. It was instrumental in the construction of Tims Ford Dam, which began in 1966 and was completed in 1970, and the quarry remained in operation into the 1980s.

Blasting Concerns and Monitoring Plan

Fruehauf recognized that neighbors are worried about blasting and vibration impacts, and said state regulations and monitoring “have become much stricter” in recent years. The company plans to hire an independent firm to monitor blasts, rather than relying on monitoring selected or coordinated by the blasting contractor. Fruehauf said the company would carry insurance and bonding and would provide documentation to nearby property owners.

Resident Aurelia Swann raised concerns about property investment and structural issues, citing major home improvements and foundation work. Fruehauf responded that the monitoring plan provided in the commission’s packet included ground-vibration monitoring and that the goal was to operate “as good of neighbors as we can be.”

Scale, Jobs, and Footprint

Fruehauf described the business as a small, locally owned operation focused on meeting local needs, not as a large regional producer. He estimated sales at about 20,000 tons per year. The project could create around four jobs in Moore County, and Tennessee’s mineral severance tax would apply.

Tomberlin explained that the work area would mostly keep the current western boundary and expand south and east, starting with about 100 acres.

Tomberlin said the operation would be classified as sand and gravel and, under that classification, he said it would not require a Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) surface mining permit, though other state permits would still be needed.

Fruehauf said the project would require permits related to stormwater, air emissions, site access, and floodplain compliance, including approvals from TDEC. He emphasized that the state would monitor compliance, and the business must remain compliant to operate.

Environmental Questions in Karst Terrain

Chris White, director of the Bedford County Planning Commission, attended the meeting and cited his experience with quarry issues.

White noted that his wife owns the Buckeye Loop Road quarry. He warned that water collecting in inactive pits can reroute underground flow and destabilize nearby groundwater, affecting wells and springs and, in some cases, contributing to sinkholes and soil loss on surrounding farms.

"What we deal with is impacted much more severely because it's at a stage right now where they're not mining," he said. "They haven't been mining in quite a few years, and so [the quarry] is full of water. Every time there's any kind of rain event, and it gets more water in it, the hydraulic effect pumps water up into about 30 different springs on our property that don't exist any other time.

White said the Lynchburg quarry is about 100 feet higher than the quarry that his wife owns. "It's not going to hold water like that for a long time," he said, "but one day it will. And just like us, it'll impact everybody around it. You'll have water, springs popping up, and you'll have wetlands popping up that you'll have to manage."

He urged commissioners to consider the long-term environmental risks of quarrying in Middle Tennessee’s karst terrain – a soluble limestone landscape laced with underground channels, caves, and sinkholes where surface water can rapidly enter groundwater.

Traffic and Highway Safety

The board also talked about traffic and highway safety. Swann asked about more truck traffic on Highway 50. Fruehauf said the company plans to widen the entrance and remove trees near the access point to improve visibility, calling the spot already “a hairy spot” for getting in and out.

Fruehauf said they do not expect “50 loads a day” or “a hundred loads a day.” He added that an acceleration or deceleration lane for trucks might be added if needed. He also said trucks leaving the site must have up-to-date DOT inspections and carry their own insurance and liability coverage.

Next Steps at Metro Council

P&Z Chairman Dexter Golden suggested bringing in an outside expert to review environmental impacts and recommended Tony Grow for this role.

In the end, the board agreed that the Metro Council would decide on the rezoning. Fruehauf said he was open to either rezoning the property to an industrial classification (I-2 was mentioned) or seeking a special exception that could limit future uses of the land.

The measure passed unanimously with votes from Bobby Carroll, Jim Crawford, Dexter Golden, Jimmy Hammond, and Jeff Ross. Angelica Lightfoot was absent.

Fruehauf, a member of the Planning and Zoning Commission, spoke from the audience during the discussion, recused himself due to his involvement in the project, and did not vote.

Golden made it clear that Tuesday’s vote was not a final approval, but a recommendation to keep the process moving at the Council level.

The Metro Council will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, March 16, at the American Legion Building, 119 Booneville Hwy. Council members are expected to take up the rezoning request and may schedule a public hearing.

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