Group appeals gravel-pit ruling

The Daily Inter Lake

The Flathead County Planning Board will deal with yet another West Valley gravel pit dispute on Tuesday during its regular monthly meeting.

The dispute involves a small pit on the west side of Farm to Market Road about a half-mile south of Church Drive.

A conditional use permit for the project was approved in 1997. Very little activity has taken place since; the planning staff report on this item indicated that no more than 520 cubic yards of gravel had actually been mined.

However, the property has since been sold to another owner, who intends to mine as much gravel as possible.

Flathead Citizens for Quality Growth, a West Valley group opposed to allowing commercial gravel pits in the area, suggested that the 1997 permit was invalid because certain conditions of approval had never been met.

The permit limits the project to 15 acres of disturbed area. It also required that an approach road be paved and stated that if any of the conditions were violated, or if mining activity didn't begin within 12 months of the permit being issued, then the permit was terminated.

After reviewing the history of this gravel operation, Flathead County Zoning Administrator Jeff Harris recently ruled that the 1997 permit was still valid.

Flathead Citizens now is appealing that decision to the Board of Adjustment.

Other items on tonight's agenda include:

. A conditional use permit to construct a multifamily dwelling at 135 Bayside Drive, in the Bigfork RA-1 zoning district.

. A zoning variance to reduce the 20-foot rear setback requirement to 5 feet for property at 1313 Holt Drive, in the Bigfork SAG-10 zoning district.

. A conditional use permit to construct a multifamily dwelling at 104 Sunrise Terrace, in the Bigfork RA-1 zoning district.

The board meets in the second-floor conference room of the Earl Bennett Building, 1035 First Ave. West in Kalispell, beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday.