Sarasota County Commissioners turned down a plan Wednesday to locate a controversial cement-recycling plant near a popular bird sanctuary.

Jim Gabbert proposed building the 16-acre facility less than a mile away from The Celery Fields.

The Audubon Society calls the site an ideal location for bird watching.

County Commissioner Nancy Detert said she would have approved the plan 25 years ago.

"Every town has an area where you kinda send your junk businesses to,” said Detert.

“But now there's a lot of residences there. Now the Celery Fields are popular. What I think happened here is that Mr. Gabbert missed the market."

Voting Wednesday, Sarasota commissioners agreed recycling construction debris is good for the environment, but this is the wrong location.