By Tabitha Evans Moore
Editor & Publisher

LYNCHBURG, Tenn. — Moore County’s Planning Commission will consider a proposal that could bring new life to a long-quiet site: the former Highway 50 rock quarry located near Lynchburg. On Tuesday, the Commission will consider a plat review, a preliminary site plan and potential rezoning that would allow operations to resume on property that has not been active since the mid-1980s, according to Scott Fruehauf, who is proposing the new project called Lynchburg Stone, LLC. Fruehauf is also a member of the Metro Planning & Zoning Commission.

According to Fruehauf, the quarry is believed to have originally opened around the time of the creation of Tims Ford Dam, with some local residents recalling it as the source of much of the rock used in the dam’s construction. The site reportedly operated through the 1980s and once included a concrete plant. The current proposal would revive activity within the footprint that has already been fenced and used historically as a quarry.

The proposed site is located just off the Winchester Highway/Highway 50 (Map 038 Parcel 007.01) and is owned by Ray Henshaw.

Fruehauf said the motivation behind reopening the site is largely economic. Because Moore County is located a considerable distance from existing rock suppliers, contractors, homeowners and businesses often pay an additional $150 to $200 per load in delivery costs for gravel and other rock. A local source, he said, could reduce transportation expenses while keeping sales tax revenue that is currently flowing to neighboring counties.

“Anybody who wants to buy rock in Moore County will be able to get rock cheaper once we open up there,” Fruehauf said.

If approved, operations would be described as small-scale and conducted primarily on an as-needed basis. The plan calls for diesel-powered crushing and screening equipment rather than three-phase electric service, meaning no additional local utility infrastructure would be required. Water for dust control would be supplied from an on-site spring using a solar-powered pump. Access to the quarry would feed directly onto a state highway, with trucks traveling onward via other state routes, which Fruehauf says would limit additional impact to county roads.

“We’ll be using water for dust control and this won’t be a high volume quarry,” Fruehauf said.

Blasting and crushing would be limited to weekday business hours, generally Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to the proposal, and Fruehauf anticipates initially crushing approximately 10,000 yards of material to establish a stockpile before opening sales to the public. The land itself would be leased from the current owners, the Henshaw family, with day-to-day operations handled by Lynchburg Stone.

Fruehauf stated that the Ray Henshaw family planned to continue cattle operations right in front of the quarry as they have for numerous years.

“They’re going to keep cattle there. The old quarry’s been fenced off for the last 50 years, and we’re gonna operate within that fence,” Fruehauf said.

In addition to local Planning Commission review, the project would still require multiple state approvals through the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), including storm water and air quality permits. Commission members are expected to review a detailed site packet that includes equipment specifications and engineering drawings at the March 3 meeting.

“We’re not defacing a new hill or impacting public utilities or roadways. If everything goes well and there is demand for it, it will bring in some local jobs. It will also bring in sales tax that is already getting paid to other counties,” Fruehauf added.

Residents with questions about traffic, noise, dust, zoning compatibility or long-term impacts will have an opportunity to hear more as the Planning Commission takes up the request. The board’s recommendation will determine the next steps in the process.

Fruehauf says if they receive Planning Commission approval, Lynchburg Stone will start working on the site in June and start crushing rock in September.

“Before we ever open anything up, we’ll create a big stockpile there, and open it up to the public and see if there’s any interest in it,” Fruehauf said.

The Metro Planning & Zoning Commission meets on the first Tuesday of each month at the County Building located at 241 Main Street in Lynchburg at 5:30 p.m. There is a public comment section at each meeting. •

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