Representatives from the Delek: El Dorado Refinery are expected to appear at the regular meeting of the Union County Quorum Court this week to ask the body, again, for a partial closure of Hinson Road.
In February, Delek Security Administrator David Oliver requested that the Quorum Court close an approximately 1,600 foot stretch of Hinson Road, which runs through the refinery.
“There’s certain regulations that we have to follow, that we have to address any vulnerabilities, and for our operations there, even though we address it, we would like to mitigate it even further in the further interests of safety for the community and in the interest of addressing those vulnerabilities for the refinery,” Oliver said.
The portion of road Oliver referenced would start about a quarter-mile from the intersection of Robert E. Lee Street and Hinson Road, where Delek Transportation is located, and would end on the north side of Friendship Primitive Baptist Church.
Union County Judge Mike Loftin said he was contacted by Delek’s legal representation recently about making a more formal request for the portion of road, and they are scheduled to do so Thursday.
“I can see both sides of that situation. There is a certain safety factor there, but, on the other hand, it’s been that way for 100 years,” Loftin said. “There’s a good argument for both sides.”
The Quorum Court’s Justices of the Peace have differing opinions about the potential road closure.
“I believe that in the position I’m in, which is a Justice of the Peace, that I should support our local industry and our local industry is needing this closed,” said District 1 JP Mike Dumas. “Hey, they’re providing 400 or 500 jobs in the community and I’d hate to see those 400 or 500 jobs move to Texas, and I believe that the community needs to support local industry, and that’s the reason I support closing it – to give support to our local industry.”
Dumas noted that several roads in that area, on the south side of El Dorado leading into the county, could get residents from beyond Hinson Road into El Dorado still, including Buchanon Road, Southfield Road, Galilee Road and Parkers Chapel Road.
“There’s two or three ways,” he said. “We’re not cutting anybody off. … That road has been there since there were county roads, and the refinery has grown and grown around the county road, and now its in the middle of refinery operations. For safety reasons, it’s vital that that road be closed for the operation of the refinery. I don’t want to go through there.”
District 4 JP Dean Storey has offered a different perspective, saying earlier this month that a different public safety issue could arise if the portion of the road is closed.
“There’s a lot of elderly people that live on Hinson Road, myself included, and fire and ambulance and police – it would deter them about 3.6 miles longer going around Buchanon Road,” Storey said.
District 8 JP William Crowder agreed, saying that Union County residents using the road has never caused safety issues for the refinery.
“This is just trying to house in so they won’t have anybody coming through there,” he said. “No incidents have ever happened on that road.”
Residents have also spoken out about the closure. In a letter to the Union County Clerk, Keri Reynolds said that all the suggested alternative routes for those who typically use Hinson Road are harder to navigate, with a higher volume of traffic and more potential for traffic accidents. She also complained that the road was built and has been thus maintained by Union County taxpayers, and therefore should not become the private property of Delek.
“Closing the proposed section of Hinson Road would create higher traffic congestion in already high areas and inconvenience a significant number of people who live in the area, particularly those employed at Delek,” her letter, which she provided to the News-Times, reads. “I have further concerns about the possible usage of taxpayer funds potentially maintaining the remainder of the road that will only be usable for business-related purposes.”
In February, residents of and business-owners based on Hinson Road made similar complaints, saying their travel time would be extended, their businesses would be overlooked and closing the road could create more safety problems than it would solve.
On Oct. 3 and Oct. 10, a public notice ran in the News-Times stating that attorney Brian Ratcliff had filed a petition with Loftin’s office to vacate the stretch of Hinson Road, noting that the petition had been signed by 10 legal residents of that area.
Storey presented a petition of his own in February with 95 signatures from Union County residents opposing the road closure.
Loftin said the decision on whether or not to close the road will be his. If there is opposition voiced at Thursday’s meeting, he will appoint a three-person panel of unbiased Union County residents to weigh the pros and cons of closing the road. They will present their findings to him, and he will decide if the portion of the road should be closed, he said.
“I’ll have to hire three viewers to look at the situation, do some research and give me their opinion,” Loftin said. “I’ll have to take the information they come up with and I guess ultimately it will be my decision, but that could take months.”
Michael Ralsky, vice president of governmental and public affairs and communications for Delek, was unable to respond to questions before the News-Times’ print deadline Tuesday. This story may be updated to reflect his comments later.
Caitlan Butler can be reached at 870-862-6611 or [email protected].