The debate concerning a proposed rock quarry off Nash Road continued this week as neighbors called for a moratorium on all potential “mineral extraction” in Windham and asked town officials to consider whether rock quarries should be allowed on residential land.

Windham’s land-use ordinance permits quarries on both residential and farm land.

While this ordinance was originally written to allow farmers to gather stone for farm foundations and walls, neighbors argue that large quarries have no place in farmland neighborhoods and could threaten nearby businesses.

Nash Road neighbors made this argument before the Windham Town Council on Tuesday night.

In response to the call for a moratorium, Planning Board member Ryan MacDonald strongly defended the town’s planning process, causing neighbors to call for his recusal.

The quarry debate began last month when Nash Road area neighbors became aware of a proposed quarry at the corner of Nash Road and Route 302. Developer and local businessman Peter Busque plans to blast 75 acres of elevated terrain there to yield rocks for concrete and other construction materials.

The quarry operation would take years of work, he says, and would include noise buffers and safety precautions to protect nearby residents from noise and dust pollution. Auburn Concrete Co. has also filed to build a concrete batch plant on the premises.

At Tuesday’s Town Council meeting, neighbor Margaret Pinchbeck handed out stop-sign shaped stickers that read “Stop the quarry” and expressed her “disbelief that a project like this could be plunked down in any neighborhood.”

Pinchbeck called for the moratorium and a review of the town’s ordinances on the grounds that the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) no longer ensures proper regulation of quarries.

“Since DEP streamlined its process back in 1997, the DEP no longer needs to set foot on a quarry site to grant it approval,” she said.

The Department of Environmental Protection has already granted approval for the quarry, but the project still needs a majority vote by the Windham Planning Board and Town Council before any blasting can begin.

Two weeks ago, residents voiced their frustrations before the Planning Board at public hearing on the quarry.

This prompted the Planning Board to authorize a “third party review” of all noise, air quality, water and traffic studies already conducted by experts hired by Busque.

Under legal constraints, the Town Council could not respond to the neighbors’ dissent Tuesday, but listened as the neighbors once again made their case against the quarry.

Resident Susan Danly told the council that she moved to Nash Road because it was a quiet neighborhood where she could keep some retired horses. A quarry would damage the character of the neighborhood, she said.

“(The quarry’s) impact will be disastrous for abutters and the quality of life for which we came to Windham,” Danly said.

Neighbor Jennifer Potter said both the quarry and concrete batch plant pose serious health dangers to nearby residents from disturbed dust and possible damage to wells.

“This is a potentially dangerous neighbor that could be allowed into any neighborhood,” Potter said.

Planning Board member Ryan MacDonald surprised many neighbors when he spoke out against the neighbors and their attempt to bypass Planning Board review of the quarry with a moratorium.

“As for the character of the neighborhood, yes, that’s going away,” he told the council. “But it’s not because of the quarry, it’s because of the neighbors.”

MacDonald said he made this remark because a moratorium would not only stop Busque’s quarry, but punish other businesses in town that rely on mineral extraction.

Owner of a nearby kennel, Carl Russell, said he would have to close his business if the quarry was approved because the blasting would disturb dogs and cats housed at his kennel.

“I don’t really see what the quarry is going to bring to this area,” Russell said. “I don’t think a residential area is a place for blasting and quarrying.”

Lynda McDonald spoke out in Busque’s defense, though she said she was still conflicted about how she feels about the quarry. She asked the council to consider the repercussions of a moratorium and what effect that would have on other businesses in town.

“I know it would make you very popular to oppose the quarry,” Lynda McDonald told the councilors. “But I really feel that the town and planning board can put safeguards on the quarry.”

After hearing the residents’ remarks, Busque introduced himself as “the bad guy” and talked about how a moratorium would unfairly block his investment in the property.

He explained the long process he’d gone through to buy the quarry property and prepare it for quarrying. He asked whether the neighbors would oppose him if he were to build a large subdivision on the acreage instead of a quarry.

“Now that I’m proposing something, people want to change the rules in mid-stream,” Busque said. “I just don’t believe it would be fair to me to put a moratorium on something that I’ve been working on for a year and a half.”

While the Planning Board waits for “third party review” of the proposed quarry, the neighbors say they will continue to push for the moratorium and possibly ask for changes to the town’s ordinance.

At Tuesday’s Windham Town Council meeting, Avante Garde kennel owner Carl Russell speaks out against a proposed quarry off Nash Road. Russell and other neighbors are calling for a moratorium on all new “mineral extraction” in town.