One gravel mine reduced, another to open

PALMER — An application for a gravel operation on the north shore of Big Lake was withdrawn Monday before going to the Borough Planning Commission, but the commission unanimously approved a separate gravel pit off Trunk Rd.

First, Bill and Helen Heairet withdrew their application for a conditional-use permit to level a 9.7-acre ridge off their 40-acre lot at the end of West Lakes Boulevard. The application would have allowed 1,000 gravel trucks to exit the property per year for 14 years.

The application was opposed by the Big Lake Community Council, the borough planner, the Big Lake Road Service Area Board of Supervisors and the majority of the community members who submitted letters to the borough.

The concerns raised cited the increased traffic, noise pollution, decreased property values and harm to the watershed and wildlife, said borough planner Alex Strawn.

“(The proposed site) is right in the middle of a residential and recreation area. It’s not similar to the surrounding area and it doesn’t preserve the value, sprit, character and integrity of the surrounding area,” Strawn said, citing the borough code for conditional-use permits.

“The public had clearly reviewed the matter and was going to speak out against it,” said Greg Strong, one of the leaders of the community opposition. “We had 70 to 75 people at the meeting (Monday).”

Not discouraged, Bill Heairet said he still has plans to subdivide his property and will truck off the 2,000 cubic yards of gravel he is allowed each year without a permit.

“In all reality, that was all I could move anyway,” said Heairet.

“That’s 200 trucks per year instead of 1,000,” said Strong, happy with the reduced traffic. “I don’t think anybody objects to him making that into a subdivision.”

But Heairet sees a larger consequence.

“It is kind of disgusting that you have your own property and you can’t do what you want on it,” Heairet said. “The more power we give to the administration, the worse it gets for all of us.”

After the 75 concerned citizens left when hearing the application was withdrawn, the Planning Commission voted 7 to 0 to approve an application for a separate and larger gravel operation on Trunk Road.

Robert Haines and Gordon Bartel submitted for a conditional-use permit to extract 25,000 cubic yards of gravel per year for six years. Similar to the Heairets’, this application is to level a 4.5 acre ridge on 11.2 acres of land.

Strawn recommended the commission approve the permit. The difference, Strawn said, is the area is already largely mixed-use. There are other gravel operations in the vicinity as well as farm land and residential neighborhoods.

In approving the application, the commission required three specific conditions in the resolution.

First, the gravel operation must practice year-by-year reclamation of the site. This was purposed by Kathy Wells, director of Friends of Mat-Su.

The state requirements for reclamation are very loose, and the borough is in the process of creating its own requirements, said Wells. In the meantime, she wanted to see a specific plan for this site.

The commission agreed, and the operation will have to cover each section mined in the summer with six inches of topsoil and seed in the fall.

Second, there were discrepancies as to how long the permit is for and what the operational hours will be. The commission approved the permit for six years and working hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Lastly, to placate concerns about chemicals entering the aquifer, the machines stored on-site will be inspected for leaks every night after operation.

Cnntact Todd L. Disher at todd.disher@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.