A construction company pulled its application Friday for a gravel pit near Creston that had drawn scrutiny from a nearby neighborhood.

In a press release, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality said that Prime Cut Construction, LLC formally withdrew its opencut mining permit application.

The 9.4-acre site off Montana 35 and Old Highway 35 was proposed to be used to mine for gravel and sand. An estimated 500,000 cubic yards of material would be removed from the property over the lifespan of the project. The Montana Department of Transportation previously used about 4.6 acres of the site for open cut mining. The other half is an undisturbed forested area.

In response to the permit withdrawal, the DEQ canceled a public meeting scheduled for next week in Bigfork regarding the project.

"DEQ is working to notify all interested parties of the permit application withdrawal and corresponding meeting cancellation," a press release stated.

"The meeting will not be rescheduled and DEQ is no longer accepting public comment on the permit application or site as there is no active permit application for Opencut mining operations at the site."

Neighbors opposed to the permit said property values would go down if the site is used as a mine again. An online petition to stop the project had 254 signatures as of Friday, April 4.