The Red Springs Board of Commissioners met for a few minutes Tuesday night but adjourned without a decision on whether to allow a sand-mining operation near Philadelphus Church. One concern is that an important person in American history could be buried near the targeted area.

The board held the meeting because it had been advertised, but took no action because the Planning Board had tabled the issue and not provided a recommendation to the board. About 15 residents attended the meeting, along with several lawyers, engineers and partners with the business.

A developer, Buie Lakes Plantation, has asked the town to rezone the property from residential to industrial, and to allow mining as a permitted or conditional use. Before the board can act on the request, the town’s zoning ordinances must be changed to include mining.

“There was a lot of dialogue after the meeting,” Town Manager Tony White said. “I think they had the opportunity to put some minds at ease.”

Concerns from residents include how the industrial site would operate, how it would affect the nearby Buie Lake, and the scenic treeline at the edge of the lake. There are also concerns about the possibility of damage to an area some folks believe to be the burial site of Colonial figure Virginia Dare.

Dare, born Aug. 18, 1587, is believed to be the first child born in the Americas to English parents, Eleanor and Ananias Dare. She was born into the Roanoke Colony. What became of Virginia Dare and the other colonists has become an enduring mystery.

The company wants to dig a main 118-acre pit, which would be 50 feet deep, and a couple of other 15-acre pits, which would then be filled with water and turned into lakes, possibly as part of a housing development. The project would include building a plant on the site to clean the mined sand.

Mayor John McNeill praised Felicia Locklear of the Lumber River Council of Governments for providing the town counsel on the issue.

“She had an excellent game plan on the logical steps we need to take to address the request,” McNeill said. “She advised that we consider the zoning change and allow mining as a conditional use in industrial zones, and then we set up criteria. That way, if this company wants it rezoned, they have to provide us with the information that will show us that they are meeting the conditions we have set.”

McNeill said the next step will be getting the Planning Board to revisit the issue and make a recommendation, which the commissioners will vote on.

Craig Brewer, one of the development partners, said that the project would provide 17 to 35 full-time jobs initially, and could employ up to 100 people after three years. Mining the site could extend for a decade.

“It will take a year or two to build it, and from there, it will depend on the customer base as to how long it will last,” Brewer said. “We expect this to be really good for the town of Red Springs for a long time. ... The ultimate goal is when everything is complete that we would have two 100-acre lakes set up ideally to sell home lots.”

Brewer said the company changed its mind on developing it as a residential area when the economy tanked. Instead, the company looked for other ways to make money on the land.

“We’ve found some very rare sand on the property that looks like it would be useful in the solar industry,” Brewer said.

After meeting with the developers on the site Tuesday afternoon, White said he feels certain that the cemetery, lake, and treeline will not be hurt by the project.

“Their mining operation is primarily focusing on an area that used to be an old 205-acre soybean field,” White said. “The integrity of this property is not going to be affected by their proposed plans. ... The positives are, they’re willing to work with us in any way, on any post-production landscaping issues.”

Brewer said that the state restrictions and bond requirements in place to get a mining permit would ensure that the site is run correctly and cleaned up afterward.

“I was against it from the get-go,” White said. “Now that I’ve seen it, I don’t see any negatives to it.”