Pittman Asphalt got the green light to grow its work site from both Council and North Nechako residents at Monday night’s meeting.
Many of the company’s neighbouring homeowners showed up in support of Pittman’s proposal to expand 8.15 hectares west. It will also exclude 5.82 ha from elsewhere on the property for a 2.33 ha net change. The company expects this will mean up to 9 more years of work and materials.
The company held three public consultations before heading to Council to find a way to work with the community. Erwin Spletzer is a part of Pittman’s parent company, YCS Holdings, and says this is just the first step.
“Yes we got our permit, but our commitment was to the community. For the next 8-9 years that we’re operating there, we’re meeting those commitments. It’s just started.”
Among those commitments is a 40-acre riverfront park.
Kathleen Haines was one of three residents to speak before Council (all of whom were favour of the expansion). She has opposed six other gravel designation applications but says this one was different.
“The company has managed and (has been) very respectful to the neighbourhood. We know we can always call them if we have concerns and we’re really looking forward to having the area adjacent to our subdivision being a park.”
After speaking with residents, Pittman also created Dust and Noise Mitigation plans. To manage dust, the company will plant more trees in a buffer area, retain vegetation outside pit operating areas, keep trucks on designated routes and enforce a 20km/hr speed limit. To mitigate noise, the plan is to make temporary berms, reduce hours of operation to 7 AM – 6 PM and reduce work on Sundays, seek ways to eliminate back-up beepers, and keep the crusher behind waste piles to deflect noise. The company will also keep 60 metres of green belt between the site and residents, an extra 10 metres than what’s required.
Councillor Garth Frizzell referred to this process as “textbook” public consultation.
“In 8 years on Council, I haven’t seen anything like this where residents have been so pleased that they came out and cheered on Pittman. It was great to see such a good relationship between the neighbourhood and the developer,” he says, “I teach a class in municipal politics and government at the University (of Northern British Columbia) and this is so rare that I’m going to have to bring this right into the class.”
After Pittman is finished with the land, the company says the area could be turned into a residential subdivision.
Council still needs to approve the project’s final reading before Pittman can expand.
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