Smithfield gravel pit study committee will decide fate of Long Hill by spring

By Katie Ashton

December 14, 2004 | SMITHFIELD -- While residents are concerned about the possibility of losing Long Hill to a gravel pit, City Council members are happy they have balanced representation on the gravel pit consideration committee.

City Manager Jim Gass is serving on the committee to assess the validity of Steve Parkinson's request to operate and maintain a gravel pit on Long Hill. Gass said the original composition of the committee was in favor of gravel operation.

"The original make-up of the committee had more representatives from gravel pit operators and very little from [the] public," he said.

The committee is now balanced due to requests from the Smithfield City Council and the school district, Gass said.

However, Mark Teuscher, countywide planner, said the committee was never unbalanced; rather the representative from Hyde Park did not appear at the first meeting, which may have appeared to weigh the committee in favor of gravel excavation.

Although Parkinson, the property owner of Long Hill and advocate for the gravel pit, is on the committee, it does not create a conflict of interest, Teuscher said.

"[Parkinson's] the property owner, is there something wrong with [having him as a representative]?" Teuscher asked. "In reality, [the committee is] going to make a recommendation and Parkinson is going to have to decide what he wants to do."

To represent the interest of the Smithfield community, Teuscher said the committee invited Robert Funk, a resident from Smithfield, to hold a position on the committee. However, Funk said he is resigning from the committee because his law firm, Olson and Hoggan PC, is representing the gravel operator. He said he would not comment on his committee position or his opinion on the gravel pit because of the conflict of interest he faces with the firm.

The committee, comprised of 12 people, met for the second time Tuesday to evaluate Parkinson's application. The committee was formed in November and includes representatives from the Cache County Planning Commission, gravel pit operators, landowners in the area of the proposed gravel pit, the school board and a representative from Smithfield, Gass said.

Parkinson applied to the county for permission to operate and maintain a gravel pit on his land, Teuscher said. At the time of Parkinson's application, the county was adopting a new planning and zoning code, he said, and the county had the decision to rule based on either the old or new zoning requirements.

The county attorney tabled Parkinson's application for six months and created a committee to study the gravel in this particular area, Teuscher said. The committee is charged to develop a recommendation for the planning commission and will finalize their decision in either March or April, he said.

Many residents expressed concerns at the Sept. 29 neighborhood meeting at Sky View High School. Concerns ranged from the gravel pit operation to increased construction traffic near schools to decreasing the quality of life. The committee is considering alternative routes for gravel pit trucks to decrease driving hazards near schools, Gass said. Also in consideration are the operation hours, the length of the excavation and where gravel exists, he said.

Gass said he isn't opposed to gravel excavation in Smithfield because of the valuable resource it offers the city.

"There is definitely a need for gravel in the valley," he said. "If you are going to build homes, it is good to remove the gravel before you build the homes."

However, Gass said the committee is addressing resident's concerns. The gravel pit has a potential to disrupt the community, unless it is done efficiently and addresses public concerns, he said.

"I think they're all concerned," said Gass about surrounding residents. "The one thing we don't want to lose in this whole thing are those concerns. We want to make sure the concerns of the public is first -- then get the gravel out."

Whether or not the gravel pit will become a reality, Teuscher said he couldn't comment.

"I've learned over 20 years in planning I don't try to [guess the outcome]," he said. "We may find that only Parkinson is the only one that wants a gravel pit up there. He may have to do things he may not want to, and that may cost him too much to proceed."

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