County puts Blackfoot gravel pit proposal on hold
Laura Lundquist
(Missoula Current) Missoula County has put a permit for a Blackfoot Valley gravel pit on hold in response to public concern.
On Thursday, the Missoula County Commissioners sent a letter to Kirk Mace, the owner of 64 acres along the Blackfoot River where a gravel pit is planned, telling him they have put his county permit on hold until they get more information.
“We’ve heard numerous concerns from constituents regarding the unique and pristine nature of the Blackfoot River and potential impacts the proposed operation could have on the area,” the letter said. “Given the strong public sentiment and limited amount of specificity required as part of the standard application for the land use/zoning compliance permit, the Commission is requesting you provide additional information before we direct staff to resume processing the permit.”
The information requested included mitigation efforts used to protect the river from runoff, whether the site would operate year-round and the amount of additional traffic the gravel pit would generate. The letter also asked how Mace intended to engage the community. The deadline for his response is Dec. 29.
Mace’s property is about 3 miles east of Bonner just downstream from the Angevine Fishing Access Site and is so close to the Blackfoot River that only Highway 200 separates the property and the river at some points.
Mace, representing Riverside Contracting Inc., has yet to apply to the state for an open-cut permit for the proposed gravel pit and asphalt plant, but he did apply to the county in September for a zoning-compliance permit, which verifies that the gravel pit wouldn’t violate any county zoning ordinance. Mace needs the county permit before the state would issue an open-pit permit.
Some Blackfoot Valley residents learned of the gravel pit proposal in mid-September after noticing the property was for sale. Concerned how a gravel pit and asphalt plant might impair the river, they organized Blackfoot River Community, a grassroots group, and started an online petition to ask the county commission to take an unusual step: institute emergency zoning.
Like much of rural Montana, the Blackfoot Valley has no zoning. Rural residents are often opposed to zoning because they don’t like regulation. But that opinion changes when something like a gravel pit tries to move in next door. Montana law allows the county commission to institute an interim zoning district if there’s an emergency that involves public health, safety or general welfare. The zoning would last for one year, extendable to two, during which time the county is required to study the issue and possibly come up with mitigation or other courses of action.
Almost 1,500 had signed the petition when it was delivered to the Missoula County Commission in mid-November. On Wednesday, the commissioners responded to the Blackfoot River Community saying they were notifying Mace that his permit was on hold pending receipt of more information from him.
“Once we receive a response—or once the deadline passes—the Commission will consider whether to initiate a public hearing process to gather additional information. That process would help inform whether interim zoning might be an appropriate tool to consider in this case,” the commissioners said in the email.
Caroline with the Blackfoot River Community was cautiously optimistic about the county’s response.
“This pause is not the end - but it is a meaningful step forward. It happened because our community showed up, spoke up, and is uniting for what matters: the sacred Blackfoot River. Let’s keep going,” Caroline said in a social media post.
The Blackfoot River Community is holding a second informational meeting on Monday at 5:30 p.m. at the Kettlehouse Brewery in Bonner.
Contact reporter Laura Lundquist at lundquist@missoulacurrent.com.