In the past two weeks, New Albany City Council President Dan Coffey resigned from two posts on city boards mainly over the relocation of a tire shredding business.

CCE Inc. could soon be moving to 1706 Ind. 111, if the New Albany Plan Commission approves a zone change for the business, which has been in property negotiations with the city’s redevelopment commission.

The redevelopment commission would like to purchase CCE’s current location — at 2045 Silver St. in the former Hoosier Panel building — and sell it to another developer.

But the buy has been held up over issues of possible water contamination.

After initial tests showed contaminant levels on the property, the private firm Specialty Earth Sciences performed a second study on the site earlier this month and ruled the land does not pose a threat to property owners nearby.

If cleanup is ordered on the property and paid for by the city, Mayor Doug England said the cost would come off the buying price before the commission takes over the land.

But Coffey still has concerns — mainly why a business that has been cited multiple times for storing tires in an open area is being moved inside his district along Ind. 111.

He said his constituents are concerned about the move, so he stepped down from the plan and redevelopment commissions to fight the relocation.

“My job foremost is to represent the people that elected me, and I cannot do that if I sit on the plan commission, that’s the law,” Coffey said. He believes campaigning against the zoning change would be in violation of state codes since he would have voted on the measure as a plan commission member.

The request coming to the board is to switch the Ind. 111 property to a Planned Unit Development District that would permit storage of outside materials, excluding anything that would be radio active.

Coffey added he stepped down from the redevelopment commission because “they whitewashed the study” at the Hoosier Panel site.

England, who lives on property in front of where CCE would be located along Ind. 111, said the move is in order to make all sides happy.

As the mayor sees it, CCE would be located at a site where it could store shredded tires outside and the Hoosier Panel building could go to another developer, as England said the site is coveted.

CCE and its owner, Jeff Eastridge, were cited in the past for storing tires outdoors, but England said there are two sides to the story. The business ran out of room to store waste at Hoosier Panel, England said.

Many people discard of their used tires in the Ohio River, along streets and on abandoned lots, England continued. He said CCE offers a place where the tires can be safely disposed.

Attempts to reach Eastridge were unsuccessful as of press time.

England added that if Coffey found any proof that Eastridge was polluting the community, he would “help run him out of town.” England said the new site is bounded by Ind. 111 and railroad tracks, vacant and away from residential quarters.

“This is not an unusual thing,” England said of moving a business to land purchased by the redevelopment commission.

But Coffey wants the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to perform more tests on the Hoosier Panel site too. Specialty Earth Sciences, which carried out the latest tests on the site, is noted for its environmental consulting and remediation design.

The business was given a tax abatement from the city in February, as Specialty Earth announced plans to add 18 jobs and expand in New Albany.

As for who will take his place, Coffey said he wants Kevin Zurschmiede to step in on the redevelopment commission. He will ask the other eight members of the council for a volunteer to serve on the plan commission at the next meeting.

Coffey said he will review the state codes to see if the council must vote on the replacements or if he has the power to appoint a council member in his stead.