Mack said Wednesday he planned to call the project developers to talk about resident concerns.
The Tipp City Fire Department issued a stop work order Aug. 6 at the construction blasting site to allow time for review of blasting notification and other requirements.
The blasting at the development located off Peters Road was announced Aug. 1 by Tipp City emergency services, which said blasting could begin as early as Aug. 4. City officials heard concerns from residents about lack of advance notification and details of blasting plans and possible impacts.
The blasting resumed a few days later, taking place up to two times daily. The blasting is for excavation of a shallow rock bed by subcontractor HTA Enterprises Inc.
Marie Neu, a resident of the nearby Woodlawn subdivision, told the Tipp City Council on Monday she was “very disappointed” residents were not notified earlier about the blasting.
“We didn’t know that was going to happen. There are a lot of us … who are very upset with what is going on, and we wish it would stop,” she said.
Becky Klosterman and other residents said a blast that occurred Monday seemed to be more powerful than before.
“It is unnerving to stand in my house when the blasts are going off,” she said.
Councilman Doug Slagel said he was familiar with the blasting due to his work in the construction industry. He and others said current ordinances allowing the blasting are being reviewed.
“The way Tipp City law was written, they got us on this one, but we can rewrite the law, and that is what we are going to do,” he said.
The city has consultants and others monitoring the blasting, he added.
The city also has contacted the Regional Air Pollution Control Agency to confirm there are no harmful air quality impacts to neighboring subdivisions. RAPCA will conduct additional on-site inspections but has stated that there is no anticipated risk from short-term dust exposure related to this work, Mack said.
The city has to allow the company to continue blasting as long as requirements in the existing ordinance are met. If the ordinance is redone, the changes made would not affect the current project.
Councilman Ryan Liddy said the concerns heard are not being taken lightly.
“Every single person up here (on council’s dais) does not want that blasting to continue … The city is going to do what they can for you,” Liddy said.
Contact this contributing writer at nancykburr@aol.com.
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