Planning commission sends Macksburg gravel pit proposal on to the county
1 Comments Published by Pioneer Staff on Tuesday, May 8, 2007 at 12:07 PM.
By Abby Sewell
Molalla Pioneer
The debate over a proposed gravel quarry site on Macksburg Road moved on to the next phase on Monday night, with a recommendation by the Clackamas County Planning Commission to the Board of County Commissioners to deny Westside Rock’s application to mine on the site.
The commissioners voted six to two to recommend denial of the mining application and the zoning change that would accompany it, based on potential conflicts between dust from the mine and nearby farm uses.
After listening to extensive public testimony for and against the proposal, the commissioners agreed unanimously that the site contains enough gravel to be considered a significant resource under Goal Five of Oregon’s statewide planning goals.
They also agreed that most of the potential conflicts between the mining enterprise and its neighbors – including noise, traffic, and water contamination – could be minimized.
But dust turned out to be the deal breaker.
Neighboring berry farmer Demetry Burkoff told commissioners that dust from the mining operation could threaten his livelihood. The Burkoff family’s farm is located across Sprague Road from the proposed quarry site.
“Berries cannot be processed through dust and grit,” Burkoff said, with his son Anafasy translating. “There is always dust on a farm, but the more there is, the worse it is. Dust can devastate the buds so the plants won’t produce.”
Laurie Freeman-Swanson, who runs an equestrian stable next door to the proposed mining site, testified that dust could also ruin the hay used to feed her horses and could cause respiratory problems in the animals.
The proposed Westside mining site, on the southeast corner of Macksburg and Sprague Road, is currently a dairy farm owned by the Brinkman family.
While some neighboring farmers called the mining proposal a threat to their livelihood, the Brinkmans said they see it as their only means of holding onto the property, which has been in the family since 1957.
Christine Brinkman, one of the property owners, told the commissioners that leasing the land to Westside is the family’s only chance to get out of debt racked up by several-year decline in the dairy farm.
“We feel the quarry would finally be a means to stable financial status for us,” she said. “This is a one time shot for us to reach the means of getting out of extreme debt. (Westside Rock owner) John Malnerich came to us, and he looked like someone we could work with.”
Malnerich declined to comment on the Planning Commission’s decision. However, Westside attorney Todd Sadlo said he is hopeful that the dust issue can be resolved.
“If I were to make a list of all the things the proposal addressed, it’s much longer than the deficiency, which is dust on berries,” he said.
The commissioners voted six to two to recommend denial of the mining application and the zoning change that would accompany it, based on potential conflicts between dust from the mine and nearby farm uses.
After listening to extensive public testimony for and against the proposal, the commissioners agreed unanimously that the site contains enough gravel to be considered a significant resource under Goal Five of Oregon’s statewide planning goals.
They also agreed that most of the potential conflicts between the mining enterprise and its neighbors – including noise, traffic, and water contamination – could be minimized.
But dust turned out to be the deal breaker.
Neighboring berry farmer Demetry Burkoff told commissioners that dust from the mining operation could threaten his livelihood. The Burkoff family’s farm is located across Sprague Road from the proposed quarry site.
“Berries cannot be processed through dust and grit,” Burkoff said, with his son Anafasy translating. “There is always dust on a farm, but the more there is, the worse it is. Dust can devastate the buds so the plants won’t produce.”
Laurie Freeman-Swanson, who runs an equestrian stable next door to the proposed mining site, testified that dust could also ruin the hay used to feed her horses and could cause respiratory problems in the animals.
The proposed Westside mining site, on the southeast corner of Macksburg and Sprague Road, is currently a dairy farm owned by the Brinkman family.
While some neighboring farmers called the mining proposal a threat to their livelihood, the Brinkmans said they see it as their only means of holding onto the property, which has been in the family since 1957.
Christine Brinkman, one of the property owners, told the commissioners that leasing the land to Westside is the family’s only chance to get out of debt racked up by several-year decline in the dairy farm.
“We feel the quarry would finally be a means to stable financial status for us,” she said. “This is a one time shot for us to reach the means of getting out of extreme debt. (Westside Rock owner) John Malnerich came to us, and he looked like someone we could work with.”
Malnerich declined to comment on the Planning Commission’s decision. However, Westside attorney Todd Sadlo said he is hopeful that the dust issue can be resolved.
“If I were to make a list of all the things the proposal addressed, it’s much longer than the deficiency, which is dust on berries,” he said.
He added that when Westside made a previous mining application, across Macksburg Road from the current site, the Board of County Commissioners found that Westside’s dust control plan was acceptable. That application was denied, based on the fact that the proposed site was located on a flood plain next to the Molalla River.
Along with its recommendation to the BCC, the Planning Commission included a number of conditions they believed should be imposed on the mining operation if approved.
Traffic on Mackburg Road was a contentious issue in the public hearings, with neighbors maintaining the road is too narrow for frequent large truck traffic. The Oregon Department of Transportation also noted that the intersection of Macksburg Road and Highway 213 is expected to fail to meet state standards within the next 20 years, and unless conditions are imposed on the mining truck traffic, the trucks could further worsen the situation.
The Planning Commission recommended that if mining is allowed, Westside should be required to install a left turn lane on Macksburg Road, for vehicles heading south on Highway 213; and if that option is not feasible, that the number of trucks leaving the mine should be restricted to 25 during the peak traffic hours of 7 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 6 p.m.
Sadlo noted that Westside has already agreed to spend $500,000 to $600,000 on widening the S curve on Macksburg Road and installing a six-foot shoulder and drainage on the frontage of the mining site.
The application is slated to go before the BCC next Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. at the Clackamas County Public Services Building in Oregon City.
We have 3 gravel pits in the area already. The road is not designed for big trucks to haul gravel.
Don't approve !