On Tuesday, the Flathead County Board of Adjustment is expected to make a final decision on whether to approve a modification to an existing conditional-use permit that would allow the owners of a controversial gravel pit in West Valley to manufacture asphalt and concrete as well.

Applicant Rob Koelzer of Schellinger Construction Company has requested a modification to a condition that states “asphalt and concrete batch plants are prohibited.” This condition was added to the property’s existing permit when gravel extraction was OK’d back in 2010. The subject property, located 3427 Farm to Market Road, is approximately 160 acres in size and is zoned “WV West Valley.”

According to an updated staff report from Flathead County Planning and Zoning, the asphalt plant would be portable and would be able to produce 400 tons of asphalt per hour. The plant would be in use intermittently as the need for asphalt presented itself and according to the applicant, there are “no immediate plans to bring in a portable concrete batch plant but wanted the opportunity to consider that in the future.”

But many West Valley residents are adamantly opposed to the request.

Among other arguments, residents have said the operations would lead to increased traffic and noise, would impact natural resources, is a fire hazard and would detract greatly from their way of life. And this request is only the tip of the iceberg for those residents, many of whom fought the permitting of gravel extraction as well - the application for which first emerged in 2005 and would later be taken to District and Supreme courts.

This request may also be taken to court as one West Valley resident recently filed a lawsuit against the county and the Board of Adjustment for recent decisions involving the application. Among other points, the plaintiff alleges the county failed to follow its own zoning regulations by accepting an application that was “not correct or complete,” and that the condition is not a normal condition and should instead be treated as an actual prohibited use, as the language would suggest.

The lawsuit was filed earlier this month, but as of Thursday afternoon, the application was still scheduled to go before the board on Tuesday evening for final consideration.

In other business, the board will consider a request for a conditional-use permit for an RV, boat and mini-storage facility in Kalispell.

Applicant James Gelormino is proposing to build two structures that house 75 storage units and two additional open-air structures to store RV’s and boats, according to a staff report. The subject property is located at 628 Willow Glen Drive and is zoned R-5 two family residential which is defined as “a residential district with minimum lot areas. Development within the district will require all public utilities, and all community facilities. A duplex is allowed in this district.”

To date, the county has received no written public comments regarding the requested conditional-use permit.

The Board of Adjustment will meet from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Expo Building at the Flathead County Fairgrounds. More information on both agenda items can be found on the Flathead County Planning and Zoning website. Decisions by the board are considered final.

Reporter Kianna Gardner can be reached at 758-4407 or kgardner@dailyinterlake.com