Commissioners considering Troy property for rock quarry, expansion of road shop

A rock quarry may be in Lincoln County’s future.

The county commissioners discussed the purchase of a 3-acre parcel near Troy from Dennis Welch on Wednesday. The property is located off St. Regis Road.

Welch is asking $53,000 for the property, Commissioner Greg Larson said.

With the price of the rock it contains, the parcel is “quite a value to the county,” Larson said. “There’s no question this land is worth what this person’s asking for it.”

On Wednesday, the commissioners voted 3-0 to get the property appraised, along with two other parcels located behind the Troy road shop at 202 Sunrise Road.

The county is interested in those properties so that it can expand the road shop in the future, Larson said. A house and shed are currently located there.

Larson explained that the road shop, which sits on 2.8 acres, is landlocked and “real crowded” with county vehicles and other equipment.

County Planning Director Lisa Oedewaldt said the county would potentially use the rock quarry for rip-rap and roads.

The county has a gravel pit off St. Regis Road not far from Welch’s “rock cliff,” she said.

Caleb M. Soptelean can be reached at 293-4124 or by email at csoptelean@thewesternnews.com.