Carlton gravel pit debate may linger until October

At a meeting with the Missoula County Land Board on Monday, county commissioners said they are not ready to make a final decision at a special public meeting set for 9 a.m. on Thursday.

“I have a hard time thinking that we will be entertaining a decision on Thursday short of having all the data in a complete package,” County Commissioner Dave Strohmaier said.

The gravel pit has been at the center of a zoning controversy between residents of the area and Western Materials, the gravel pit company looking to expand into undeveloped land near Highway 93.

While the gravel company argues it needs the new space to keep its business sustainable, the neighborhood residents contend the current zoning does not allow for an expansion, and the gravel pit itself was wrongly built on residentially zoned property decades ago.

The county has already held three public hearings on the matter since February.

Last meeting, the commissioners asked both parties to seek mediation and find a compromise that allows the pit to continue operating while adding sound and dust particle protection for residents.

At the Monday meeting, County Civil Attorney John Hart said the lawyers for the neighborhood residents have not come to the table with certain demands. The group of residents also did not attend the Monday meeting.

The delay also comes as commissioners await final results from a groundwater study looking at potential pollution from the pit by a third-party agency contracted through Western Materials.

Representatives from the study said initial findings will be presented on Thursday, but the full detailed results will need another five to six months.

The commissioners will coordinate an additional hearing for to see the full study results, which could be set for August at the earliest, but could also push into October, Hart said.