Hearing slated for mine proposal

Community comments against rezone

ACME –Whatcom County Planning reissued a SEPA (State Environmental Police Act) determination on Dec. 29 regarding the application by Mount Vernon company Concrete Nor’West seeking a rezone and Comprehensive Plan amendment to allow gravel and sand mining operations near Doran Road south of Acme.

The company’s application requests amending the Comprehensive Plan map from Commercial Forestry to Mineral Resource Lands (MRL) and the zoning map to change the underlying zoning from Commercial Forestry and create an MRL overlay for 280 acres, a special designation.

In September, County Planning initially issued a Determination of Non Significance (DNS), stating “no probable significant adverse environmental impacts are likely.” The Planning Department then accepted public comments through Dec. 15, 2009, and received approximately 120 comments, according to Current Planning Supervisor Tyler Schroeder. “I am not aware of any of the comments received to be in favor of the proposed change,” Schroeder said when asked how many comments are in favor and against the proposal.

On Dec. 28, Whatcom County Planning withdrew its DNS finding and reissued a Mitigated Determination of Non-Significance (MDNS).

“The comments received… focused on site specific impacts that might be caused by a mining operation,” the letter stated. Of the comments, many concerns were about salmon, river quality and smaller-scale farms in the areas, as well as dust and noise. This revised SEPA determination means additional public review is necessary, including public hearings and a decision by the Whatcom County Council.

The application is preliminarily scheduled to be in front of the Whatcom County Planning Commission for a public hearing on Jan. 28 and a work session on Feb. 11, Schroeder said.

The appeal period ended Dec. 30. One appeal had been submitted by David Mann, of the Seattle law offices of Gendler and Mann, however due to the withdrawal of the DNS and the re-issuance of the MDNS, Mann formally withdrew the appeal on Dec. 28.

Several sources could not be reached as of press time. More detailed information about the proposal will be published in the next Foothills Gazette.