Around 50 Palmer Township residents attended a public comment session at the Palmer Town Hall Monday night to voice their opposition to a proposed Interim Use Permit (IUP) for a gravel mining and asphalt plant. The session took place during the regular meeting of the Palmer Town Board, with Supervisor Steve Demeules serving as acting chairman for the meeting in the absence of Chairman Mike Ganz.

 

The board also heard the annual report from Sherburne County Sheriff Joel Brott, and received updates on the Lake Improvement District (LID) from Briggs Lake Chain Association President Dan Merchant and the cartway agreement for the Westby property from township attorney David Meyers.

 

The IUP application is being made by Hardrives, Inc., which is seeking to conduct a gravel mining and asphalt plant operation in an existing gravel pit on property owned by Shirley Wipper that borders 42nd st. and 95th ave.  The original plan calls for operations on 30 acres of the property with an additional 10 acres involved in the future.  A five-year lease on the property has been agreed, according to company representative Chris Miller, with an option to extend after that time.   The plant would be used for the Hwy 10 overlay project, which is expected to be completed in November, Miller said.  Gravel for the project would be crushed on-site, reclaimed asphalt would be processed and an asphalt plant would be erected, Miller said.

 

Supervisor Richard Larson raised questions involving the distance from the mining operation to the township road, asking if the proposed 15-foot depth of the pit would not create a hazard to traffic.  Miller said that a four-foot berm of topsoil would be erected around the perimeter of the mining site, which would be later used to create a slope from the roadway when the site was restored.  Larson asked if that would not create a visual hazard for drivers on the roadway.  Larson also questioned the effect the asphalt plant would have on the area, especially the smoke and odor generated during operation, and the noise and dust from the attached gravel crushing operation.  Asphalt plants need to pass state standards for operation, Miller said, and his firm applies a chemical to reduce dust on the gravel crusher.  Larson also asked why the company could not use an existing asphalt plant in Duelm, which is located only a few miles away.  Miller stated the use of that plant is not considered “economically feasible” at the current time.  Larson also stated that the roadways proposed to transport gravel and asphalt are not designed to bear the loads of continuous heavy truck traffic, and that there are no  acceleration or turning lanes in the plant area.

 

Treasurer Roger Johnson asked about stipulations the township could attach to the permit if the Sherburne County Board grants approval to the IUP request, a time-critical issue since the matter will go before the planning commission next week. Meyers said the township could include recommendations regarding plant operations in their comment to the planning commission, which would then be considered by the full county board as they consider the application.  Meyers provided a copy of similar stipulations Haven Township had requested.

 

Residents raised a number of questions regarding potential pollution of ground water, air and noise pollution caused by plant operations, traffic safety issues in the area around the plant, damage to township roads and the impact on local property values if the plant remains in operation in Palmer for the full five years of the original lease.

 

Resident Tom Dahl urged the board to provide a negative comment on the IUP request, saying that the proposal would only harm the environment in the community without creating any benefits.  Dee Schendzielos told the board the use of 42nd st. to transport gravel and asphalt would have a negative effect on residents, who had done their research and bought property in Palmer because it was residential, quiet and not located near sources of air and water pollution.  She also pointed out that the gravel operation would also have an impact on a small section of wetland, and she urged the board to deny positive comment.

 

Palmer resident Russ Pekarek said he understood the business aspect of the plan, which is a good deal for the company and the pit owners, but he asked the board members what they would want if they lived near the proposed asphalt plant site, as he and his wife do now.  Steve Kipley stated that he had 30 years of trucking experience, and that the roads in the township are not designed to stand up to that level of use, and the noise and pollution near his house will defeat the purpose of his moving to palmer in the first place.

 

At the end of the hearing, Demeules and Larson voted to send a negative comment on the application to the planning commission, which is scheduled to meet on at 6 p.m. on Thurs., (Feb.19) in the Sherburne County Government Center.   The board will also include a request for stipulations in the event that the full county board approves the IUP, which would include a no asphalt plant rule and hours of operation limited to 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. The current plan would allow operation from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

 

The annual sheriff’s report showed a total of 982 calls for service in Palmer in 2014, down from 1,000 in 2013.  Serious criminal activity included one assault, three burglaries, four narcotics arrests and three DUI citations.  One case of criminal sexual conduct was investigated, Brott said, along with 28 reported thefts and eight cases of criminal damage to property. The BLCA is continuing to work on getting the required 60 signatures from area property owners that will allow the Lake Improvement District (LID) project to be considered by the county board, Merchant said.  The fight against invasive aquatic plants let to a shortfall of $7,000 last year, Merchant said, and the LID would greatly help in paying for those efforts.  

 

The BLCA is also seeking donations for the annual July 4th fireworks display, he said.  An education/fee program through the MNDNR that will require completion of a video course and purchase of a sticker for all trailers used in state lakes has been put on hold, Merchant said, but is expected to be revived shortly.

 

Meyers told the board none of the parties involved in the on-going cartway dispute in the plat of Lake Julia Park have appealed the decision made by the board last month, at least as of Monday night.

 

The annual Clean-Up Day will take place rain-or-shine Sat., May 16 from 7 a.m. to noon at the Palmer Town Hall.