· Context
Council passes 4-1 on first reading a specific use permit for an asphalt batching plant near Triangle Drive (Ordinance No. 8252)
On July 28, 2026, after a public hearing, the council voted 4-1 (Councilmember David Prescott voting no) to pass on first reading Ordinance No. 8252, rezoning Lot 2, Block 1, 66 Village Unit No. 2, near Triangle Drive and Lakeside Drive (Loop 335), from Light Industrial District to Light Industrial District with Specific Use Permit 210 for an asphalt or concrete batching plant. The applicant sought to build an asphalt batching plant. A written protest by nearby owners required the votes of three-fourths of all council members.[1][2][3]
Cole StanleyTim ReidDon TippsLes SimpsonDavid Prescott
What the sources say
- ✓ Verified
On July 28, 2026 the council held a public hearing on Ordinance No. 8252 (applicant OJD Engineering, LLC for Redline Cattle LLC); one speaker spoke for the item and one against. The motion by Councilmember Simpson, seconded by Councilmember Tipps, to adopt the ordinance passed 4-1: yes, Cole Stanley, Tim Reid, Don Tipps and Les Simpson; no, David Prescott. [1]
- ✓ Verified
The staff memo states that the applicant requested the change "to develop the property with an asphalt batching plant," which requires a specific use permit in the Light Industrial District. The property is in an industrial area on the north side of Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport, zoned Light Industrial on all sides; the City Plan 2045 place type is "Manufacturing & Logistics." The memo notes an existing asphalt plant nearby and a batching plant permit granted in 2022 about 0.35 miles west, and that the applicant must also obtain TCEQ permits before operating and have a drainage report approved before a full building permit. [2]
- ✓ Verified
The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval 6-0 on July 6, 2026. Three people commented in opposition at that meeting, citing lower property values, health effects of emissions, odors and another batch plant in the area, and one submitted a letter of opposition signed by 24 people. Staff found that two signers own 31.47% of the 200-foot notice area, a valid protest under which the rezoning can take effect only with the favorable vote of three-fourths of all council members. An appraisal provided by the applicant concluded the rezoning would not adversely affect neighboring property values. [2]
- ✓ Verified
The Amarillo Tribune reported that a property owner near the site and a few dozen others who own property or live nearby submitted the protest letter, raising concerns that asphalt fumes could cause health problems; that the City's senior planner said no new residential construction is permitted in the area because of airport noise and that the applicant must meet separate TCEQ regulations "that go beyond what the City regulates"; that the applicant's representative said they would comply with TCEQ rules and build an 8-foot metal fence as a windbreak; and that the protest meant at least four council members had to vote in favor. The ordinance passed 4-1. [3]