We had a visit last week from the folks at Camden Iron and Metal Inc.
They did not have horns growing out of their heads.
Which might come as a bit of a surprise if you are paying attention to the dustup over their plan to bring their business to the borough of Eddystone.
A lot of people in the town are not exactly putting out the welcome wagon. In fact, there is a fairly vociferous opposition to the project coming to the old Foamex site off Route 291 at all.
You can read our story – and view the video – here.
The opposition to the plan is what you would normally expect – lots of truck traffic rumbling through the town, decreased property values, pollution problems.
They are legitimate concerns.
But I came away from the meeting trying to weigh the two sides of this issue - the clear economic advantages vs. the concerns of local residents. It is exactly the kind of question local municipal leaders face every day.
CIM plans to relocate their metal-shredding operations from Southwest Philly to the 63-acres site in Eddystone. They are bringing 237 employees with them. And they say they plan to add more once they get there. They hope to add 25 new jobs every year if they get the green light.
Of course, they also are bringing something else. Trucks. Lots of big trucks, maybe as many as 175 a day.
But it’s not exactly like these trucks are going to be rumbling through residential neighborhoods. For the most part they likely will be going up and down Route 291, not terribly different from what traverses the industrial tract now.
Those who oppose the plan also wonder about the environmental impact of the shredding operations. It is a legitimate point.
The folks at CIM seem like they are willing to work with the group, along with the borough, to satisfy any concerns.
The matter is now in the hands of borough council. When exactly they will make their ruling is not known. A legal challenge, regardless of how they rule, could be in the making.
But for right now, it’s hard to argue with the economic boost CIM will bring to Eddystone, even with the baggage they bring with them.
That's the challenge the local group has in front of them, convincing their elected leaders of their concerns and that this project will have a decidedly negative effect on their town.
And that sounds like exactly what they plan to do.
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