7.7. SR 05-18-2020 - Laserfiche WebLink

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From: Melanie Curtis To: Erickson, Amanda; Carlton, Zachary Cc: todd.curtis Subject: [EXTERNAL] Public Comment on Item 6.7 - Planning Case No. CU 20-10 Date: Monday, April 27, 2020 5:13:12 PM Planning Commission and Staff: I have lived in Livonia Township just north of the Toth Pit area on 225th Ave NW since 2004. Since the entrance to the Knife River / Toth gravel pit opened to truck traffic, each year the truck traffic has intensified and the accumulation of debris/dirt (& mud when it rains any amount) on the roadway has increased. Trucks/Number of trips: From a resident perspective, the number of vehicle trips to/from this property each day during the active season is unbearable; and some of the drivers drive very carelessly. I have numerous examples, for instance there is a stop sign at the exit from the site. Myself, and many of my neighbors, have witnessed drivers ignore the stop sign and pull onto 225th without stopping or slowing down. I have observed drivers pull across 169 to get to the southbound side without stopping at the stop sign at 2251h/169. This hurried behavior is unsafe and reckless. The number of trucks going into and out of the site per day is unreasonable. At any given time in the day residents trying to access 169 may have to wait behind 3-5 side dump trucks to reach the intersection; and in that time 4 to 10 trucks may drive past entering the site. On a normal day, it could take 15 minutes to get to the 225th/169 intersection. From my conversations with City staff, I know they have observed this traffic as well. According to one of the planning staff, traffic was identified as a concern when the pit was permitted in the early 2000s and there was a limitation placed on the number of individual trucks allowed to access the site per day. While this was a step in the right direction, the real limiting measure should have been a limit on the number of vehicle trips per day. Debris/Dust: The road leading to/from the Knife River driveway onto 225th is often covered in spilled gravel, sand, and dirt from the trucks, and as a result of the trucks driving off of the shoulder of 225th to make the turn. This is often not cleaned up for many days and is a hazard. Additionally, the southbound acceleration lane to 169 is often completely covered in dirt/mud. This continues through the summer and creates a very dangerous situation for drivers. Not to mention is consistently inconvenient as we have all had to increase the frequency of washing our vehicles from the mud on the roadway, which is money out of our own pockets. City Code section 42-78 talks about the safety requirements for access to the site and use of public rights -of -way. Section 42-53 specifically states the following: "The council shall issue an extraction license only upon a finding that the proposed extraction activities will comply with the standards and requirements set forth in this article and will not be dangerous or otherwise detrimental to persons residing or working in the vicinity thereof, or to the public health, safety or welfare, and will not impair the use, enjoyment or value of any neighboring property. The council, in its discretion, may attach conditions to protect the public health, safety and welfare, to avoid traffic congestion or hazard, or to promote conformity of a proposed use with the character of adjoining property and uses." I understand this to mean that in order to issue the original extraction license / CUP, the city determined and the applicant demonstrated they could meet the conditions. Is there not an expectation that the conditions continue to be met? At this time, with the request to expand the operation, the City has an opportunity to apply additional,