SANDPOINT — More than 30 community members gathered Thursday night as the Bonner County Zoning Commission reconsidered a conditional use permit for a proposed gravel pit, ultimately denying the project due to concerns over potential impacts to neighboring properties and roads.  

The permit was unanimously denied by all five commissioners during the March 12 hearing. The file had originally been continued from a six-and-a-half January hearing to allow all commissioners to be present.  

Reconsideration of the file follows a December decision by county commissioners to send the conditional use permit after applicants submitted an updated grading/stormwater management plan and requirements for a geotechnical analysis following the hearing examiner’s original approval. Commissioners said the new information made it unclear what could be legally considered in the appeal, resulting in the file being remanded back to the zoning commission.  

The proposed gravel pit has drawn strong opposition from nearby residents, many of whom attended the January hearing and raised concerns of dust, noise and safety for their families and livestock if the file were to be approved. 

Taking those comments, along with agency comments, into consideration, commissioners found that the proposed gravel pit failed to meet performance standards required by the Bonner County Revised Code. Commissioners specifically noted that the gravel pit would create objectionable noise, where county code requires such noise to be muffled or controlled, agreeing with concerns that the applicant lacked an adequate plan to muffle or control the noise, impacting neighbors and their livestock.  

Commissioners also cited the applicant’s inability to mitigate vibrations, which numerous neighbors reported caused their houses and windows to shake, as another reason for the denial.  

“We’ve had testimony from dozens of people about the test blast that happened in April of 2024, and there’s just no way to mitigate that,” Commissioner Brett Blaser said. “It’s a jarring thing, and it’s been described as shaking windows, shaking houses and so forth. So consequently, this can’t happen.” 

When making their decision, commissioners also determined that county code used the word ‘shall,’ where commissioners believed if there were noise or vibrations that came from blasting efforts, the commission “wouldn’t have any choice but to find that a problem.” 

Access was another concern, as the proposed pit would rely on a road that was not up to county standards, which would require an asphalt road instead of a gravel one.  

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.