KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) What was expected to be a routine public hearing on a proposed gravel pit expansion Monday night turned into a wave of pointed public testimony and deep community concern — but only after the Keene Planning Board granted an earlier continuance to the developer, G2 Holdings, to respond to outstanding technical and public feedback.

The long-anticipated proposal, which seeks to expand gravel operations on a 325-acre property straddling Keene and Sullivan, drew hours of criticism from residents of Sullivan, Roxbury, and Keene. The meeting marked the formal reopening of the public hearing that had been continued from June at the request of the applicant.

G2 Holdings, LLC, led by brothers Cooper and Cody Gordon of Jaffrey-based Gordon Gravel and Stone, is proposing an eight-phase, 13-year excavation project requiring an earth excavation permit and a hillside protection conditional use permit. The Keene portion of the gravel pit began operating in 2022; about 200 acres of the expansion would be in Sullivan.

At Monday’s meeting, residents and officials from neighboring towns voiced strong objections to the scale and potential impact of the proposal. Concerns ranged from noise, dust, and blasting to threats to water quality, wildlife, property values, and the rural character of the surrounding communities.

“This proposal is a threat to children, pets, wildlife, and quiet enjoyment,” said Jim Manley, an abutter and Sullivan resident who has long voiced concerns over the project. Others echoed his alarm.

Roxbury Selectwoman Jan Albano took a firm stance against the expansion, citing G2 Holdings’ alleged history of noncompliance. “We now realize a few things too,” she said, referencing a Fieldstone Land Consultants report that documented several instances of G2 allegedly failing to meet the terms of their current excavation permit.

“Noise is a significant concern of Roxbury residents living within an earshot of the existing pit,” Albano added. “Those people are currently subjected to constant noise that disrupts the quiet and solitude that they used to enjoy. If the expansion is approved, they can expect more of that six days a week for the next 13 years.”

Others criticized the company’s reclamation plans and questioned whether the steep ledges left by blasting could ever be adequately restored.

“What compelling reason is there to grant it?” Albano asked the board, receiving murmurs of agreement from a packed meeting room.

Amelia Perron, a Sullivan resident, noted that while the project may benefit the developers financially, the costs will fall on surrounding communities. “This is a project that will profit G2 Holdings and Granite Engineering, et cetera,” she said, “whereas the adverse effects of this project will be borne by our local community.”

The Planning Board had already approved final plans for a boundary line adjustment earlier in the meeting and granted two extension requests for unrelated development projects. The gravel pit discussion, however, dominated the agenda.

Planning staff also briefed the board on the city’s master plan update, with a new draft scheduled for review by the steering committee in August.

A decision on the gravel pit application is expected at a later meeting, with no vote taken Tuesday night. Meanwhile, the Sullivan Zoning Board of Adjustment, which had previously delayed its own decision on the project pending Keene’s review, is expected to revisit the matter in the coming weeks.