PRIEST RIVER — After a public hearing Wednesday, residents living near Curtis Creek and Hoodoo Valley roads are awaiting a decision on a proposed gravel pit that has sparked concerns about noise and air quality.

The Bonner County hearing examiner, Jacqueline Rucker, will have five business days to review the file and public comment before making a decision on the proposed pit.  

The proposed gravel pit is located off Curtis Creek Road on a 38.48-acre parcel that is zoned Agricultural/Forestry 10. According to a standard review and staff report, the parcel allows for the use of a gravel pit under a conditional use permit.

A handful of community members have shared their concerns with the proposed gravel pit, as it could worsen air quality with dust and damage the roads due to the potential of excessive gravel trucks. 

While a gravel pit can be approved under a conditional use permit, proposed uses, according to the county, must be consistent with the Bonner County Comprehensive Plan, compatible with the applicable neighborhood and cannot create a hazard.  

Project representative Travis Haller of 7B Engineering shared several key notes regarding the proposed gravel pit, including that the applicants already operate a gravel pit in the area, Curtis Creek Sand and Gravel. He said that signifies the applicants have proven their abilities to follow county and state code.  

"We also have an applicant who has a history of meeting all those standards with the current pit as well. So, they know what they're getting themselves into,” said Haller.  

Haller addressed several concerns submitted by the public, including noise, dust and air quality, public safety, water availability, traffic, road conditions and fire mitigation. To those concerns, Haller said that the traffic would not be affected, relating the proposed pit’s traffic to the traffic caused by the already existing pit. 

“The traffic is still going to be the same,” said Haller. “We’re just having all those same trucks over on the new pit. And road conditions will adhere to all road and bridge standards.”  

Other concerns would be mitigated by following county code, according to Haller. He further indicated few complaints about the current gravel pit, stating that the proposed one would be further away from community members and be less disturbing, despite its huge size difference.  

Public comment relating to the matter was in total opposition as 10 neighbors shared their concerns and worries if the proposed pit was approved, arguing that the conditional use permit application made false claims of limited noise, traffic and public safety.  

Neighbors took turns sharing their stories of their daily lives with the small gravel pit that’s already in the area, citing a lack of clean air due to dust, loud noise due to rock crushing and shaking from gravel trucks driving on Curtis Creek Road.  

It was argued that a larger pit like the one proposed wouldn’t fit in with the rural nature of the area, creating a fear of even louder noises and lack of dust suppression, ultimately impacting neighboring property owners’ health.  

While varying in presentations, it was a unanimous agreement by public speakers that they heavily opposed the proposed gravel pit.  

“This operation will significantly increase heavy traffic on rural roads that were never designed to handle these loads,” said David Davis. 

Others shared their concerns about noise and shaking from the trucks and rock crushing, saying that it disturbed livestock and pets, among other things.  

“We are directly affected, and we have a lot of livestock, a lot of us do. We are very concerned about that, we have a lot of cows and horses and donkeys and things like that, they don’t do well with loud noises,” said one neighboring resident. “We're all just there living the dream, and then this is going to get dumped in the middle of us, and it’s going to disrupt all of our lives and all of our livelihoods.” 

Following public testimony, the hearing was recessed for 10 minutes to allow Haller and Rucker time to digest the comments shared.  

After recess, Haller shared the importance of gravel pits, which he says provide necessary resources. 

“We’re seeing a lot of negatives,” said Haller. “What is a gravel pit for? It’s to provide gravel that is needed, just like timber is needed, just like underground mining, we need those resources. The question is, how do we do it in a way that doesn’t affect the environment as much as possible? We need those resources, so it really depends on how you look at it.” 

He also indicated once more that a gravel pit falls under approved conditional uses, saying that all of the public speakers were also under the jurisdiction to apply for one too, if they wanted.   

The county hearing examiner will have until Oct. 7 to make a decision on the file. 

    Proposed gravel pit shown next to the existing Curtis Creek Sand & Gravel pit.