A discussion and possible decision on a proposed asphalt plant has been set for May 11 after an incomplete application prevented a March 16 meeting.

The Dutra Group, which submitted a revised plan for its asphalt plant along the Petaluma River just south of town on Jan. 29, requested that the meeting be set for May 11 last week after learning that the county’s permit review department needed more information on its proposal. The department sent a letter to the company on March 8 saying that its application lacks certain information and could not be addressed by the county’s Board of Supervisors on March 16.

Dutra plans to share a barge offloading site with Shamrock Materials, which has a plant just north of the Dutra property. An electric conveyor belt would then bring rock material from the Shamrock site about 600 feet south to the Dutra site. Dutra claims the plan eliminates concerns over noise and emissions raised over its previous plan to build a new barge offloading site on the river.

According to the county permit review department’s March 8 letter, Dutra needs to provide more information on operations at the Shamrock site, more details on the Shamrock’s electric crane and the proposed electric conveyor belt, and a signed agreement between Dutra and Shamrock to use Shamrock’s site. The department also said that Dutra must pay about $44,000 for application costs and staff processing time.

- Argus Courier, March 22