Douglas County commissioners on Wednesday night said they were close to approving reclamation plans in the midst of a longtime dispute about a rock quarry west of Lawrence.

But before they did, commissioners asked county and planning staff members to review and recommend how large lakes at the quarry can be. Commissioners will likely hear the recommendations at their Sept. 30 meeting.

Commissioners are considering reclamation plans of the Big Springs Quarry from Mid-States Materials LLC of Topeka.

Neighboring property owners who have had environmental concerns about the use of the quarry also addressed the commission Wednesday night, saying they wanted more specifics in the plan.

In May, the county approved a court-sanctioned agreement with Mid-States. The Topeka company bought the quarry — south of County Road 442 near the Shawnee County line — from Martin Marietta Materials in 2007.

Neighbors claimed Martin Marietta officials did not live up to conditions of the original permit issued in 1990, and the two sides settled a federal lawsuit out of court earlier this year.