House Springs • Residents along Byrnesville Road have nicknamed their corner of Jefferson County "Little Ladue." Homes sit on large lots and sell for upwards of $500,000. The Big River flows by, and some houses sit on a private lake.

But a plan to start a sand and gravel mine in the area has upset the peaceful setting.

More than 400 people have signed a petition opposing the plan of John Harness III and his sister, Krista Harness, to rezone 28 acres to allow them to recover and process sand and gravel at 4980 Byrnesville Road.

Resident Linda Schroeder, who with her husband, Gil, owns Schroeder Sod Farm in the area, is proud of the regal houses along Byrnesville Road and its side streets.

A mine "doesn't fit the area," she said.

To make her point, she has filled six posterboards with photos of area houses, ranging from new construction to remodeled homes dating to the late 1800s. She plans to bring them Tuesday to a Jefferson County Council meeting, where the rezoning is set to come to a vote.

Harness maintains that his mine would have little effect on neighbors. The land, which has been in the Harness family for more than 100 years, has been used as a top soil operation, but the soil is almost gone. He lives across a road from the property; his sister, Krista, lives in Vermont.

Harness said no blasting or rock crushing would be done at the site and that the only noise would be from trucks and machines running during the day. Sand and gravel would be mined and cleaned at the site, then hauled away. He also said a drainage system on the property would ensure that no dirty water from the cleaning process ends up in the nearby Big River.

"That water will never run into the river," he said. He expects the mining to last about 15 years. After that, he said, the family would consider donating the land to the parks department.

He said 80 percent of the land is surrounded by woods. And he pledged to build a fence, as well as add trees, bushes and berms, between his property and the adjoining Northwest Jefferson County Sports Complex. The sports facility features a skate park and baseball fields.

Liz Tibbets, a retired teacher, said kids playing at the complex would have no problems scaling the fence:

"I know from teaching that eighth-grade boys and heavy equipment do not mix."

She was one of about 20 neighbors who gathered at Schroeder's house Thursday to speak against the project. The neighbors cited the same concerns: The mine would reduce their property values, put too many trucks on their narrow road with no shoulders, create noise and sit too close to the sports complex.

Norm Huch, whose land borders the mine site, said he moved to the area three years ago for the quiet, picturesque surroundings. He loves his private beach. He's worried the tranquility will be destroyed.

"It's not anything of what I dreamed of having anywhere near my house," he said.

Pam Hitt is concerned about a sharp curve in the road near one of the proposed mine's entrances that would be used by large trucks. She fears it will lead to crashes and be especially unsafe for school buses.

"It's not about petty things. It's about trying to keep our kids safe," Hitt said.

Jim Schaeffer, who has more than 33 years of experience in construction and lives so close to the sports complex that he can hear the players, worries about noise from equipment at the mine.

"Are they going to issue hearing protection to everyone who enters the park?" he said.

Opponents face an uphill fight. Last month, the county's planning and zoning commission voted unanimously to recommend the Harnesses' request. It will be up to County Council members Chuck Banks, Ed Kemp and Pat Lamping to make the decision.

All three told the Post-Dispatch they would wait until hearing the evidence Tuesday before deciding how to vote, although Banks said he would have a difficult time barring anyone from using personal property to make a living when other landowners nearby do the same thing.

The meeting starts at 6 p.m.