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C. Technical Review of Current Proposal <br />Terry Maurer, City Engineer, and city staff reviewed this request. <br />summary of the issues and concerns resulting from this review: <br /> <br />The following is a <br /> <br />1. Access <br />Access is perhaps the most critical issue regarding the request. The main use for <br />the gravel that would be mined under this request is for use at the Elk River <br />Bituminous Asphalt batch plant, which is approximately 1/4 mile south of the site. <br />The applicant negotiated an easement from the property owner that lies between <br />his site and Elk River Bituminous, eliminating the need to gain access to Highway <br />169. In the future when additional interchanges on Highway 169 are developed, <br />the site in question will have access to a frontage or backage road and the need for <br />using an easement for access will be eliminated. <br /> <br />Apparently, the easement from the subject property to Elk River Bituminous will <br />cross existing drives in the area perpendicularly, which avoids mixing the truck <br />traffic from the site with other local traffic. In case this situation is altered in the <br />future, the conditional use permit contains language that requires any portion of <br />the private drives that are shared be a minimum of twenty feet wide and paved to <br />safely allow for two-way traffic and reduce dust. The petitioner must also <br />document that he has the right to do these improvements on the property that is <br />not in his control and spelling out whom is responsible for maintenance. <br /> <br />Some of the product mined from the site will potentially be for sale. Staff is <br />recommending that the Elk River Bituminous site be used for the sale of product <br />under the stipulation that a permit from MnDOT for this additional commercial <br />activity be obtained, if required. Staff anticipates MnDOT requiring improvement <br />(e.g. acceleration lands and protected turn lanes) being required as part of this <br />permit. <br /> <br />2. Crushing <br />The petitioner is proposing to conduct gravel crushing operations on this site, but <br />no wash operation. Washing gravel is not necessary for hot-mix asphalt. He is <br />uncertain at this time whether he will contract for the crushing or do it himself. <br />Whoever does it will need to have a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency <br />(MPCA) Air Emission Permit. <br /> <br />Noise and vibration can also be problems associated with crushing operations. <br />Anticipating where these issues will be problems can be hard to predict. Open- <br />ended conditions are being proposed in the attached conditional use permit so that <br />staff has latitude for dealing with unanticipated problems arising from the <br />crushing. <br /> <br />3. Dust <br />The majority of the problem with dust from gravel operations is associated with <br />truck traffic. Staff is recommending that the petitioner be required to have a <br /> <br /> <br />