County to reconsider Sagle asphalt plant

By Lyndsie Kiebert
Reader Staff

Bonner County Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to hold a reconsideration hearing regarding the asphalt batch plant slated for the Linscott gravel pit in Sagle.

The reconsideration comes at the recommendation of the Bonner County Planning Department. Planning Director Milton Ollerton said his department reviewed 11 “alleged deficiencies” with the BOCC’s Jan. 11 decision to approve a conditional use permit for the batch plant for use by Interstate Concrete & Asphalt. Planners recommend commissioners conduct a public hearing to discuss just one of the alleged deficiencies: “non-conforming land use.”

This comes after Sagle citizens near the gravel pit raised concerns about possible non-compliance with a previous conditional use permit the Linscotts applied for in 1995. 

Ollerton said Wednesday that his department first heard about the 1995 permit the morning of the Jan. 11 hearing, and based on a “quick read” thought it had been approved and issued. Upon further review following that hearing, the department discovered that the 1995 permit was never officially issued because the applicant did not meet certain conditions.

Ollerton said the permit of concern is not related to the proposed batch plant and played no role in the decision to approve Interstate’s application.

“We just want the opportunity to clarify the role that that conditional use permit plays in (the asphalt plant) application, which is none,” he said.

The hearing is scheduled for Friday, March 22, at 9 a.m. in the first floor meeting room of the Bonner County Administration Building.