A week ago, I had a story in The Sun about a plan to build a large sand and gravel operation along Marshyhope Creek, near where it meets the Nanticoke River in rural Dorchester County, about a half-hour’s drive from Cambridge.

The Horsey family, a father-and-son outfit from Delaware, want to mine the sand and truck it out. They have hired Sandy McAllister, a former Cambridge city attorney who also represented the developer in the Blackwater Resort negotiations. The Horseys need a special zoning exception for the project, so a hearing was held last Thursday in Dorchester County to see if they could get one.

A source tells me about 150 people came to the meeting — a mix of environmentalists, neighbors, and Boy Scouts who all oppose the project. The scouts were with their parents and in their uniforms. The scouts oppose the project because it would be next to the Shore’s main Boy Scout camp, the Henson reservation, and would make the camp unsuitable for scout activities, such as boating and hiking. The scouts, like the environmentalists, are also concerned about damage to rare plants and fragile ecosystems — among them the Wades Savanna, a rare wetland. And government officials I talked to don’t like the project because it will cause a lot of traffic on rural roads.

Among the groups most concerned is the Nature Conservancy, which owns a substantial amount of property in the area and has helped many locals preserve their land. Chesapeake Bay Foundation representatives, who sparred with McAllister over the Blackwater development, came to the hearing also, as did members of Friends of the Nanticoke.

But my source says none of the project’s opponents got to speak – there simply wasn’t time because the Board of Appeals didn’t want to go past 10, and it didn’t begin the discussion until well after 8. That left only enough time for McAllister to present the project and talk about adjustments they could make to accommodate the scouts.

So, that means another hearing. But even then, the opponents might not get to speak, because the Horseys aren’t done presenting their case. County officials took everyone’s name and number and promised to contact them when a new hearing is scheduled. So, it doesn’t sound like a decision is imminent.

Bayblog will try to keep you posted on when the next hearing might be.