SANDPOINT — A decision on a proposed gravel pit in Priest River has been continued to March 12 after Bonner County commissioners previously remanded the project back to the Zoning Commission for further review.  

The reconsideration follows a December decision by county commissioners to remand the conditional use permit after updated grading/stormwater management plan and requirements for a geotechnical analysis were submitted by the applicants following the hearing examiner’s original approval. Commissioners said the new information made it unclear what could be legally considered in the appeal.  

During the six-and-a-half-hour Jan. 22 rehearing, commissioners Michelle Johnson, Joe Mauk and James Pound reviewed the file and heard public comment on the matter before voting to continue the hearing so that commissioners Jeff Poulsen and Brett Blaser could also weigh in. 

About 60 people were in attendance for the hearing, with roughly half remaining by the midnight adjournment. 

While the continuance was partially based on the absence of two commissioners, it also stemmed from Johnson and Mauk’s disagreement with the classification of the gravel pit. Instead, the pair believed that the proposed use was better suited to the classification of an open pit instead of a gravel pit, which isn’t permitted in the parcel zone of Agriculture/Forestry 10.  

Despite their disagreements with the conditional use classification, Bonner County Revised Code 12-331 says that the planning director has the authority to make the final decision on the proposed use, making the classification official and unchangeable by the Zoning Commission.  

“It ties our hands, and I think it’s truly out of the spirit of what the Zoning Commission is supposed to do,” Mauk said before asking to continue the meeting.  

Through two hours of public testimony, community members and neighbors of the proposed gravel pit shared mixed sentiments about the file, though most were in opposition. Supporters said the gravel pit would not cause danger and instead support the local area through sourcing services like gravel locally. Opponents raised concerns about dust mitigation, which could lead to health concerns and potential water contamination for the nearby Curtis Creek. Others also mentioned the impact of blasting — the use of a controlled explosion to break rock into smaller pieces — and how it shakes and disturbs the neighboring properties.  

The proposed gravel pit would sit on approximately 38.5 acres of land that is zoned Agriculture/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.  

Under county code, conditional uses must be consistent with the Bonner County Comprehensive Plan, compatible with surrounding uses and not create a hazard. 

The project was originally approved by the former Bonner County Hearing Examiner Jacqueline Rucker in October, despite a handful of community members sharing their concerns about worsening air quality with dust and damage to the roads due to the potential of excessive gravel trucks.  

An appeal of the hearing examiner’s decision was filed shortly after her approval by community members, stating that the decision was not supported by substantial evidence and was “made upon unlawful procedure, failing to meet the findings required by law.” The appeal also indicates that the hearing examiner’s reason statement did not appropriately analyze public testimony given at the hearing.  

The appeal was then brought forth to county commissioners before being remanded back to the zoning commission for reconsideration.