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The proposed 55 million-gallon facility would be located at the Exeter site at the south end of Main Street in the city. The 4-3 vote culminated much debate about the project.
The arguments concerning the project by Osage Bio Energy basically came down to two issues: 1) Was an ethanol plant the best use of the site and 2) did the plant pose safety issues due to its proximity to downtown.
Those who believe that ethanol is a newer, cleaner fuel source than crude oil have touted the positives. Those against ethanol and a local plant say the negatives — such as smells, increased traffic and additional noise — outweigh any benefits.
Much as been said about the proposal. Hopewell officials even went on a fact-finding tour to an ethanol plant in Kentucky. Numerous public hearings were held on the project. There were even rallies both against and in favor of the project.
“This is just the beginning,” said Osage Bio Energy President Craig Shealy after the December vote. “There’s a lot of work to be done. We’re going to move forward and anything we need to address, we’ll address.”
It apparently is just the beginning. But not for the project, not yet.
The Rev. Curtis Harris and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference filed a temporary injunction on Dec. 14 to keep the city from selling a part of the Exeter site to build an ethanol plant. Harris is also a Hopewell City Council member who has opposed the project.
The injunction notes that of the roughly 2,200 people living within a half mile of the site, 62 percent are minorities from low-income backgrounds. And that the property values could drop dramatically if the ethanol plant is built.
The proposed project is not a civil rights issue. City Council voted on the merits of the project and how it would impact residents who live nearby, no matter whether they are minorities or not.
But another issue raised in the request for an injunction could have more merit.
The injunction claims the City Council did not reach the necessary amount of votes to sell the property it owns. Article VII, Section 9 of the Constitution of Virginia states that a city cannot sell property such as public places, except through an ordinance passed with a three-fourths vote. It is also mentioned in 15.2-2100 of the Code of Virginia.
Is a supermajority required for City Council to go through with the sale? A Hopewell judge has ruled no. An appeal is expected.
Is having an ethanol plant at the Exeter site a good or bad decision? Time will tell.
But Hopewell Mayor Steve Taylor, who was not in favor of the plant, was correct about one thing: Ultimately the voters will have the final say on the issue.
