Ledyard ― A local real estate agent told the Planning and Zoning Commission on Thursday that a quarry proposed for the former Dow Chemical site off Route 12 would hurt homeowners when they try to sell their property.

Joanne Kelley, who pointed out tons of rock would be excavated over a 10-year period, cited studies that have consistently shown the prices of homes near quarries have been negatively affected. According to some of the studies she cited, the effect can result in a more than a 30% reduction for homes within a quarter mile of a quarry.

“It begins at about a quarter of a mile and it goes to about 3 miles before there’s any decrease in impact,” Kelley said.

Gales Ferry Intermodal LLC, a division of Cashman Dredging & Marine Contracting Co. in Quincy, Mass., has proposed creating a 40-acre quarry in the Mount Decatur area of Gales Ferry, a land use change that requires a special permit.

Nearby homeowners have been fighting the plan, fearing the health effects of silica dust that would be released during the course of blasting, along with other concerns such as the impact of noise, traffic and a decrease in real estate prices.

Meeting at the Ledyard Middle School before about 85 people, plus another three dozen on Zoom, the commission was ready to hear from a phalanx of homeowners Thursday who have complained about the project’s possible effects on their peace of mind and quality of life, wells, foundations, nearby schools and day care facilities, wildlife and a historic site at Mount Decatur.

By 8:30 p.m., only about a half-dozen residents had been given a chance to speak.

Gales Ferry Intermodal has defended its proposal by downplaying homeowner concerns and boosting the plan’s anticipated positive effect on Ledyard’s tax base.

In a previous meeting last Thursday at Ledyard High School, Kelley had walked through a real estate analysis submitted by a professional hired by Gales Ferry Intermodal that purported to show quarries in a neighborhood do not affect real estate prices in the area.

She said the analyst had ignored many of the important aspects of a home, such as amenities and upgrades, that tend to add value while also ignoring the general condition of homes, providing a comparative real estate analysis that essentially compared apples to oranges.

“I can honestly say in almost 30 years, I've never read an appraisal that didn't have access to the multiple listing service. You could have gone on Zillow and gotten a lot more information,” Kelley said to chuckles from the audience. “You obviously had a lack of knowledge of the local market.”

Kelley then ticked off, house by house, the many items that differentiated homes either positively or negatively that were ignored in the Gales Ferry Intermodal analysis of home prices near the two quarries studied.

“This is all relative data that should have been adjusted into any kind of sales analysis,” Kelley said.

Kelley also questioned the analysis’ use of quarries that she said were not similar to the one proposed in Gales Ferry, where more than 500 homes are within a half mile of the proposed project.

“They were not comparable in any way, shape or form,” Kelley said.

“My final conclusion is that the study is completely without merit or value,” she added. “If it reveals anything at all it is that there is likely a negative impact on those who are closest to the quarry.”

Kelley also tried to refute the contention by a consultant hired by the town that commercial and industrial property developments near residential neighborhoods tend to affect real estate prices only during the consideration phase of the project. She showed a slide from the very same study cited by the consultant that clearly shows real estate prices plunging not only as an industrial project is being considered, but years later as well.

Harry Heller, attorney for the quarry applicants, tried to question Kelley’s qualifications on Thursday, pointing out that she had not completed the coursework required of a professional assessor.

“I’m not claiming to be an assessor,” Kelley said.

Heller also questioned Kelley about several facts she had cited in her testimony this week and last, questioning whether she had actually gone out to the sites she had spoken about.

“Do you not remember that the appraiser said that he got his information from Facebook?” Kelley shot back, eliciting laughter and applause.

“Mr. Chairman, I’m not going to stand for it anymore,” Heller shot back loudly, in the midst of the applause. “We’ve listened to it for the last couple of meetings.”

Chairman Marty Wood, who had previously warned the audience about outbursts that occurred at a previous meeting, then told everyone in attendance that a further demonstration would result in the hearing being concluded for the evening. Other hearings are planned on Dec. 5 and Dec. 12 at Ledyard Middle School, with concluding arguments expected at the later meeting.

Brian Savageau, an environmental specialist and former town sanitarian in New London, spoke about the possibility that blasting at the site of the quarry could disturb wells and amplify radon in Ledyard’s groundwater.

The commission had no questions for Savageau after cutting him off after a half hour of testimony. After questions from Heller, Savageau urged the commission not to act rashly and to consult experts from the State of Connecticut before approving a project that he said would “produce catastrophic environmental impact” similar to what happened in Flint, Mich.

l.howard@theday.com