COEUR d'ALENE - After a three-hour hearing on Thursday evening, the Kootenai County commissioners voted unanimously to conduct a site visit before deciding on a proposed 116-acre rezone that would allow Coeur d'Alene Paving to relocate its controversial asphalt plant from Rathdrum to Post Falls.

"I don't have a feel for the full area that we're talking about," said Commissioner Jai Nelson before the vote in the county administration building.

Coeur d'Alene Paving has requested the county rezone the acreage, located near the state line just west of Stateline Speedway, from agriculture to mining.

The site would be used for rock crushing and, if a separate permit is approved, to relocate the company's asphalt batch plant from its current spot off Highway 53, which neighbors have rallied against because of noise and pollution.

More than 170 have submitted comments for and against the proposal.

Coeur d'Alene Paving co-owner Todd Kaufman said the site would fit the past commissioners' recommendation to find a more appropriate spot for the plant.

"This a good place to consider an asphalt batch plant, because it's already there," Kaufman said, noting that several mining and industrial operations exist on nearby properties.

His representative, Steve Syrcle with Tri-State Engineering, added that even if the permit for the asphalt plant is rejected, the paving company will still use the land for mining, due to a deadline to purchase the property.

Thursday's hearing chiefly targeted the proposed conditional zoning development agreement for the rezone, which includes details like hours of mining activities and noise mitigation.

Many of the 30 members of the public present had doubts about its contents.

Terry Gadbaw, controller with Spokane Rock Products neighboring the site, challenged that past commissioners required a more stringent contract for his company, with stricter requirements for slopes, berms and protective measures for the aquifer.

"If this zoning agreement is put in as is, we ask you address ours and lighten the load," he said.

A long line of property owners from North Idaho and Eastern Washington testified against the rezone. Many assumed the asphalt batch plant wouldn't be far behind, and fretted over pollution.

Others testified that several hundred would be affected by the noise, dust and traffic of just the mining operations. They also worried over impacts to the aquifer.

Jerome Fink of Newman Lake, Wash., held up a bottle of water he had filled from his tap.

"I don't know if you've ever lived in an area where you can't drink the water, but it's not a good thing," he said to the commissioners.

Ron Smith of Post Falls, who lives by the speedway, invited the commissioners to drop by and "see how the noise penetrates my house," he said.

"It's really unbearable, and this is only going to add to it," Smith said.

Kaufman assured that dust would not leave the property.

He said the company is open to putting up a 15 foot by 30 foot berm on the south boundary of the site, facing the residential area.

"Fifteen feet is a big, high berm," he said.

He didn't consider the development agreement as lacking, and said that county staff had advised him on leaving much out. He added that he was open to negotiating details in the contract.

"I assure you it's not going to be any louder than the neighbors," he said of Coeur d'Alene Paving's operations. "If anything, we're a lot smaller."

The site visit is set for 10 this morning at the site.

The commissioners will continue Thursday's hearing at 9 a.m. on April 18 in the county Administration Building. Testimony must be related to the site visit.

The commissioners had held a hearing on the rezone last August, but remanded the case back to the county hearing examiner, with a requirement that Coeur d'Alene Paving add the development agreement.