Franklin residents have seen this movie before.
It was inevitable. First, tear down the homes and buildings on the west side of 51st Street. Let any rumors and scuttlebutt (e.g. quarry expansion), as to why these buildings were demolished abate. Then, when all has quieted down, move in the bulldozers and earth-movers and hope no one notices or bothers to speak out until it’s too late. That’s how Mayor Tom Taylor and his “boys” (Aldermen Solomon, Taylor and Skowronski) on the Franklin Common Council like to work. Is that this group’s idea of open government.
Driving south on 51st Street yesterday, between Rawson and Drexel, I noticed a bulldozer and a couple other pieces of earth-moving equipment operating on the east side of the quarry’s burm. Today I checked with my alderman and sure enough the quarry is being expanded as part of a years-old agreement with the City. Franklin pols will tell you “'Technically,' it’s not being 'expanded.'” Evidently this is due to the language in the agreement.
The berms to the east are being moved further east so that mining can take place beneath where the berms once stood.
Please direct any questions regarding this matter to the mayor, your alderman or Joel Dietl, AICP, Planning Manager, City of Franklin at 414-425-4024.