So many people showed up to a meeting in Woodstock Thursday evening about a controversial gravel pit proposal that the session was moved from City Hall to the Opera House to accommodate the overflow crowd.

That turned out to be an apt move, given the drama that then ensued.

The discussion over the proposal lasted around 3½ hours, and during that time, Plan Commission Chair Cody Sheriff repeatedly admonished the hundreds of people in the crowd to be civil.

The gravel pit has been proposed near the intersection Lily Pond and McConnell roads by Jack Pease of Super Aggregates, who operates others in the area. The land is not in Woodstock city limits, but the proposal is to annex it into the city.

The land is across a set of railroad tracks from an existing Super Aggregates pit, and plans include a proposal to add a conveyor tunnel under the railroad to move material from the pit to an existing processing facility on the south side of the tracks, according to city documents.

In response to a question, Pease’s team confirmed that there would be no mining on the north side of the tracks if the railroad doesn’t allow the tunnel but expressed confidence the railroad would grant it.

Pease is also asking for a special use permit to allow asphalt, concrete, ready-mix and rock crushing on land south of the railroad tracks, according to city documents.

During his lengthy presentation about the pit, Pease attempted to address issues opponents were raising, asserting many people came to the meeting because they were “motivated by misinformation.”

Among other concerns from the public, Pease addressed claims gravel pits would contaminate water. He said people should call the health department and ask for history of gravel pits. He said the health department has monitoring wells at his sites to track water quality, the company has a clean history and any claims his company contaminates water are false.

As for noise, he encouraged people to keep an open mind and to stop by his existing Lily Pond Road plant between 9 and 11 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 17, to see, and hear, for themselves, offering also to arrange private tours.

Regarding the perception that having a gravel pit nearby decreases home values, he encouraged people to check Zillow, and asserted that homes near a McHenry pit were going for around $40,000 more than ones farther away.

Pease said he’s been “personally attacked” by opponents and defended his record as a conscientious businessman, saying, “I’ve been a good boy.”

Towards the end of Pease’s presentation, after he and his team had been speaking for about an hour, an audience member interrupted him. Sheriff admonished the audience not to interrupt and said Pease was allowed as much time as he needed to present. After some back and forth with the audience, Sheriff called for the Plan Commission to take a five-minute recess to calm the crowd. Later, the chairman asked someone to leave, but the person said they wouldn’t.

After the recess, Pease was allowed to finish his presentation. Sheriff admonished the audience to allow Pease to finish and said there are legal requirements the Plan Commission needs to meet. Sheriff asked someone to leave after they interrupted Pease, to which the person said “and we’ll decline.”

When audience members finally got their turn at the microphone, they had plenty to say.

“I appreciate you taking the time to come out and inform us, but what I heard was, ‘Sacrifice your health for our wealth,’” resident Karrie Baughman said.

Resident Jeffrey Paulson mentioned perceived health risks that would come with such an operation and said the proposal goes against the city’s comprehensive plan. Approving the plan would “place residents at risk and permanently compromise air quality and groundwater resources.”

Paulson noted the site is near neighborhoods, senior living facilities and close to a park. He said residents would be exposed to unavoidable industrial impacts for years.

“Unlike workers, residents cannot leave the exposure at the end of the workday. Children would breathe this dust while their lungs are still developing, and seniors would inhale it with lungs already compromised,” Paulson said.

Resident Kathleen Morrow said in part her family would be forced to move if the pit is approved and believes property values will be hurt.

“We refuse to be guinea pigs, and that’s why we’re all here,” Morrow said.

The Plan Commission is expected to continue reviewing the proposal next month. City staff members said before Pease’s presentation they requested it be continued to allow for more time to receive additional documents. Pease also asked for a continuance.