By Riley Murdock | Arizona Republic
Some Mesa residents have been concerned for years about foul-smelling fumes from an asphalt plant neighboring their community. Now, city leaders will decide whether to allow more homes to be built nearby.
The Mesa City Council is expected to vote this month on annexation and rezoning requests for a housing project that would place 89 townhomes on 7.5 acres just north of Lehi Crossing, the neighborhood built next to a Vulcan Materials asphalt plant several years ago.
The asphalt plant, which has operated near north Loop 202 and Val Vista Drive since 2001, includes a sand and gravel mine.
Lehi Crossing residents have lodged numerous air-quality complaints with the city, Maricopa County and the state, worried that the plant is responsible for health issues from burning eyes to a chronic cough.
But recent air-quality testing completed by the county and state did not find evidence to support this.
