Rock quarry proposed near Kamiak Elementary School

A proposal to build a rock quarry near Kamiak Elementary School in Pullman is back again after a similar project was withdrawn in 2019 when residents voiced safety and environmental concerns.

The city is taking public comments through April 11 on the rock quarry, which would be built in a field located off Terre View Drive. Pullman Community Development Director RJ Lott asked all feedback be sent to his email at rj.lott@pullman-wa.gov.

He says there will be additional opportunities in the future to submit comments as the project goes through the motions.

The rock quarry was first proposed by Western Construction in 2019, who called the project Mader Rock Quarry. According to Lott, the same owner is applying this time around under the name Mader Development. The project is now called Mader Rock Excavation.

In addition to the quarry, the company has plans to build a residential subdivision in the area over the next decade or so.

“It would not be a short-term project,” Lott said. “This would be a 10- to 15-year type of thing.”

Resident Kathleen Smith told the Daily News she has concerns because she envisions large construction trucks driving heavy loads through Terre View Drive, an already busy street where children are present. She also expressed environmental concerns.

“The problem is (the site is) very close to residential homes, and it’s close to the school,” Smith said.

The application received by the city’s Department of Public Works on March 7 states the project intends to excavate and crush rock for use throughout the subdivision’s construction.

Mader has plans for residential housing and a small number of mixed-use developments spanning 342 acres. After the rock quarry is exhausted, the area could be transformed into a park, stormwater pond or commercial space in the future.

“What we’re doing right now is trying to find out how it would affect the area and coming up with mitigating factors so those impacts would be lessened or eliminated,” Lott said. “For instance, they would have to find a way to not violate the noise ordinance and have a dust control plan.”

The original proposal was withdrawn in late 2019 as community members expressed concerns about the project’s impact on air quality, noise and students in the area.

Lott says the rock quarry would not affect students traveling to Kamiak Elementary School.

“The trucks would not be going up and down Terre View like probably some would imagine,” Lott said. “They would all be on Mader-owned property, so they would have very little travel on public roadways.”

Palermo can be reached at apalermo@dnews.com or on Twitter @apalermotweets.