Zoning panel OKs Franklin County concrete plant

GRAY SUMMIT, Mo. -- A Franklin County zoning panel has approved plans to build a concrete plant near the Shaw Nature Reserve.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that county zoning commissioners on Tuesday voted 6-4 in favor of the Landvatter Ready Mix concrete company's expansion plans.

Some residents and nature preserve leaders worry the plant's noise and truck traffic will harm the area's tranquillity. But commissioners cited the promised creation of 25 full-time jobs in an area already packed with other commercial and industrial sites.

Residents can appeal the decision to the county's planning and zoning adjustment board.