The Pullman Planning Commission voted Wednesday to recommend the City Council deny a proposed zone change that would allow a rock quarry near Kamiak Elementary School.
Community members packed City Hall for Wednesday’s public hearing to voice their opposition to the controversial proposal from Steve Mader.
Mader has been trying to rezone his property near Kamiak Elementary School from residential to industrial since 2019. This rezone would allow a rock quarry to be excavated near Mader’s planned subdivision.
The city received more than 100 letters opposing the rock quarry. Twenty-eight residents, including children, argued against the quarry during Wednesday’s public hearing on the matter. Many of those who spoke live near the proposed quarry site.
The majority of them cited concerns about the rock quarry generating dust that could cause health problems for the Kamiak Elementary students and nearby residents.
They also shared fears about noise pollution, dangerous rocks being ejected into the air from blasting, and potential negative effects on the wells and aquifer. Some said the quarry would lower property values and be incompatible with the city’s comprehensive plan that is supposed to promote the wellbeing of its residents.
Given the large number of opponents who wanted to speak at Wednesday’s meeting, the commissioners allowed 60 minutes for them to comment. The meeting lasted three-and-a-half hours.
The commissioners stated they were particularly influenced by Pullman Public Schools’ disapproval of the zone change. Joe Thornton, director of operations for the school district, told the commissioners Kamiak Elementary was built at that location in part because of the surrounding residential zone. The district would likely not have purchased that property if a rock quarry was nearby, he said.
Planning Commissioner Brent Carper said he was concerned about the long-term ramifications of introducing an industrial zone to that area. It would clear the way for other industrial uses on that property, and it would be unprecedented in Pullman for an industrial zone to be surrounded on all sides by residences. City code also requires industrial zones to have access to an arterial street, and Carper said this is not feasible where the rock quarry would be located.
Four people spoke in favor of the zone change, including Mader.
Mader stated his goal was to own a quarry that would supply rock for his planned subdivision of affordable homes on that same property. He said this would reduce traffic and travel costs, because trucks would not have to haul rocks from an outside quarry. He said the rock crushing and blasting in Pullman would be intermittent and could be done around Kamiak Elementary’s schedule.
Mader said he oversaw a similar rock quarry project in Lewiston and has not heard a single complaint from residents near that property.
Mader’s project manager Scott Sumner told the commissioners the geography of the land would limit the noise.
Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.
