Putnam County Stone (PCS) LLC has formally refiled its rezoning application for a proposed quarry in Putnam County, restarting the county’s review process with what officials describe as a “substantially revised proposal.”
The new application seeks to rezone 342.87 acres from Agricultural (AG) to Industrial Manufacturing (IM), allowing the company to pursue development of a granite quarry. The Putnam County Planning & Development Department has made the complete application available for public review as part of its effort to promote transparency and public awareness.
The refiling follows PCS’ withdrawal of its original application July 2, after county planning staff determined the revised proposal differed too substantially from the original submission to be amended or simply tabled.
Putnam County District 2 Commissioner Richard Garrett said the decision to withdraw and refile originated with county planning officials.
“My understanding is that it was the county’s Planning and Development Department that requested that they withdraw and refile,” Garrett said. “They argued that the revised proposal was too different from the original one to be tabled simply.”
Garrett said PCS followed the recommendation of county staff, whose role is to guide applicants through the zoning process.
“That’s what we all pay them for, to use their expertise to come to those conclusions,” he said.
At the same time, Garrett said the quick turnaround in submitting the revised application suggests PCS remains committed to moving the project through the approval process as quickly as possible.
Regardless, Garrett said starting over with a new application should make the review process clearer for county officials, advisory board members and the public.
“I think there is some clarity with saying, ‘Well, it’s not just a version of the old [application], and we have to somehow toggle between the two,’” Garrett said. “We can disregard the old one.”
Although commissioners received the application electronically Monday, Garrett said Tuesday afternoon that he had not yet had an opportunity to study the extensive documents.
The revised proposal will now move through the county’s standard rezoning process. County planning staff will first review the application and prepare a recommendation for the Planning & Zoning Commission, which meets the first Tuesday of each month.
After conducting a public hearing, the P&Z Commission will forward its recommendation to the Board of Commissioners for a final decision.
“I imagine it might take another month or two for all of that to line up,” Garrett said, estimating the matter could reach commissioners “come end of summer, into the fall.”
For now, Garrett said he is ready for the process to move beyond procedural questions and into a full public review of the proposal itself.
“Hopefully, we’re now going to be in a position to digest the final proposal fully,” he said. “I’d like to see us sort of get past this interim stage of procedural matters that ultimately are just a precursor. So, I’m eager for the county to get to the main event.”