Richmond Hill’s leaders have slammed the brakes on a controversial nickel and heavy metals refinery, unanimously voting Tuesday that the operation cannot legally run at the Belfast Commerce Center under current zoning. With residents packing City Hall and others tuning in from home, city officials made it clear the Westwin Elements project does not fit the rules that govern the industrial park.
According to the City of Richmond Hill, the decision came during a formal appeal hearing for 1 Caesarstone Drive. The council, acting as the Board of Zoning Appeals, reviewed the planning director’s determination that nickel refining is not a permitted manufacturing use under the Belfast Commerce Center Planned Unit Development, following procedures laid out in the city’s public notice.
What the council decided
Sitting as the Board of Zoning Appeals, the council voted to formally spell out that heavy metal refining is not an allowable use under the existing PUD. In plain language, that means a refinery is treated as prohibited at the site unless the property is rezoned through a separate public process. WTOC reported that the vote was unanimous and that the crowd inside City Hall was standing room only.
What Westwin had proposed
Oklahoma-based Westwin Elements had pitched a facility to refine nickel, cobalt and other heavy metals at the former Caesarstone site, arguing the project would deliver new jobs and investment while keeping waste streams limited on site. The Current previously detailed the company’s plans, and public permit filings on the Georgia EPD docket under the codename “Project Patriot” confirm Westwin sought air permitting for a Richmond Hill plant. DocumentCloud also shows dozens of community comments opposing that application.
What happens next
The council’s move does not permanently rule out a refinery at Belfast Commerce Center, but it draws a bright line. Any company that still wants to pursue a refinery there would first need to apply for rezoning, a process that starts with a formal application and moves through staff review and public hearings. WJCL reported that Caesarstone, which owns the property, agreed with the city’s planning director that heavy metal refining is not allowed under the current PUD and even presented the specific language the council ultimately adopted.
Community reaction
Opponents of the project did not hide their relief. “We as a community, we’re very, very thankful that they voted the way that they did,” Karen Hewitt told WJCL. Environmental groups including One Hundred Miles and Ogeechee Riverkeeper submitted written comments in the permit record urging officials to uphold the zoning interpretation that keeps the refinery out under current rules, and those submissions are part of the public file. DocumentCloud shows the organizations’ letters.
