And You Get a Gravel Pit… And You Get a Gravel Pit
Contributed by Tim
Members of the Borough Assembly are pushing a gravel pit ordinance that will make it easier for anyone to start a gravel pit on their property; potentially next to you or down the street. This ordinance (OR 22-131 ) would increase the size of permissible gravel pits from the current 2,000 cubic yards per year to 10,000 cubic yards per year without requiring public comment, review or permitting. 10,000 cubic yards is about 1,000 dump trucks of gravel removed per year.
This ordinance first came up months ago and was greatly opposed by Valley residents and businesses at an Assembly meeting. The Assembly ignored those voices, adjusted some numbers on the ordinance and sent it to the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission voted to skip any public comment and send it back to the Assembly for a vote last week. After significant opposition at that meeting on March 7th it has been tabled for March 21st.
Under the current gravel pit application process, permitting, review and public comment are required for a pit that is over 2,000 cubic yards and 80-85% of those applications are approved.
The proponents of this ordinance in the Assembly have not provided any reason for it. There is no shortage of gravel in the Valley; we send a lot of it to Anchorage every year. They have only deflected concerns about dust, traffic, property value, animal habitat destruction, aesthetics (GIANT UGLY HOLES) and water quality. Most of those deflections include phrases such as “most likely” and “probably wouldn’t”; they have not provided any solid evidence to discredit these concerns.
The current process includes a public hearing for adjoining residents to speak to the impacts on their property. It allows for rules to mitigate the impacts of the added traffic, noise and dust. It includes a review to ensure operators have a proper reclamation plan. It requires gravel pit operators not leave excessively steep slopes, that they have a plan for safe roadway operation and that groundwater and drinking water are protected.
If there is no problem, why do we need a solution? The potential reasons are suspicious. Do the proponents have an immediate special interest or pressure through outside partners? Is there a future plan and this ordinance is just a step toward a bigger outcome?
We elect local leaders to deal with problems and concerns in our community, to work for us, in our best interests as residents, taxpayers, and as a community. They should not be using their place on an elected board for personal or business benefit, at the local level or even the state level.
This ordinance has no purpose for our community.
The Borough Assembly meets on March 21st to vote on this ordinance. If you feel you and the members of our community should retain our right to review and comment on gravel pits in our community you need to speak up. Here’s how you can do that:
Email your Assembly members: https://www.matsugov.us/assembly
Attend the meeting on March 21st and speak directly to them.
Call in during the meeting: 1-855-225-2326; Press *3 when you hear the clerk announce they have opened the public hearing for the legislation (OR 22-131).