A Coeur d'Alene asphalt company is headed before the Kootenai County hearing examiner again about rezoning property at the state line, with the aim of moving its asphalt batch plant there from a more contested location.

Property owners along the Washington/Idaho border are still bristling at the idea, though, some distributing fliers to rally opposition.

"Our concerns are noise, smell, traffic, dust," said Post Falls resident Hayley Lake, whose home sits within half a mile of the property being discussed.

Coeur d'Alene Paving came before the county last summer about rezoning 116 acres a half mile west of Beck Road from agriculture to mining. The change would allow for operation of the batch plant currently sitting off Highway 53 in Rathdrum.

County commissioners had remanded the proposal back to the examiner, and directed the paving company to add a development agreement spelling out mitigation for certain activities.

The company has done so. The submitted conditional zoning development agreement will be presented at a hearing before the county examiner at 6 p.m. Jan. 19, in room 1 of the county Administration Building.

Todd Kaufman, co-owner of Coeur d'Alene Paving, said he is confident the conditional agreement will be approved.

"The hearing examiner, she already recommended approval last time without the development agreement," Kaufman said. "They're just making sure they can have conditions instead of a straight rezone."

The proposed agreement includes plans to develop mining on the property in five phases, the first likely this year, with active mining in two phases.

The document promises that Coeur d'Alene Paving will water down dust, and will protect the underlying aquifer by leaving a minimum 40 feet undisturbed in a mining pit. Noise would be controlled by building berms as needed, the agreement states.

Operations would last from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

Mitigation shouldn't be a great burden, Kaufman predicted, because there are several other paving and mining operations in the area.

"It's surrounded by zoned mining," he said. "It's not fronting a major road. You're not going to see it or know where it is."

But some nearby residents have written to the county that they've had enough noise and fumes from other similar industrial companies in the area.

"As a resident I value the quality of my air, land and health," wrote Jenel Emahiser, who lives in the Woodbridge development off Seltice. "I do not feel that this proposed plan shows any acknowledgment to the outcome it will have for the residents in our area."

Hayley Lake has been supporting efforts of Newman Lake, Wash., resident Joyce Flanigan, who has been distributing fliers encouraging folks to attend the hearing and submit letters in opposition.

"It seems like they've made this west end where they want to put all the pollutants, and they don't care about the people who live here," Lake said.

Lake also worries that Coeur d'Alene Paving's proposed development agreement is too vague, especially about when mitigation will occur.

Kaufman argued that his operations would be consistent with others in the area. Concerned homeowners might consider moving to a more residential area, he suggested.

"I'd say those houses don't belong in the light industrial and mining area," he said.

County commissioners had asked Coeur d'Alene Paving in a previous hearing to find a more suitable location for the asphalt plant, which sits near a dense residential area. The plant's operations there have garnered vocal opposition from neighbors, as well as a lawsuit.

"The benefit (of the rezone) is it's going to be less neighbors to be impacting, and it will benefit our company for better hours and less restrictions," Kaufman said.

Today is the final day written comments on the proposed rezone can be submitted to county Community Development Department.

Information: 446-1070