After working on the gravel pit ordinance for two years, the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly was bombarded with 11 amendments from the mayor.
They really seemed to be in a hurry to finish the document before the election.
This ordinance rewrite is not a game; it is serious business. If you have observed the Kenai Assembly meetings over the past few years, you would think it was a battle between the gravel pits and the residents. It could be perceived that gravel pits are now being given a protective essential status, which will apparently take precedence over the quality of life, property values, safety, and health of residents. If you are a rural resident, you will have even less protection. Gravel pits can be within 250 feet of a school, clinic, or senior citizen center. Hey, anybody out there concerned about the extra dust your kids, your senior citizens or your health care providers will be breathing from a nearby pit? Keep in mind, 250 feet is 50 feet shorter than a football field. How about how distracting the noise from heavy equipment operating can be to the children in a classroom?
The word “visual” is being replaced by the phrase “street-level screening.”
You have to be a lawyer to figure this one out. A question for the real estate industry: What happens to your profits on view property on the Kenai Peninsula if gravel pits continue to proliferate without proper visual screening? Did you know only one gravel pit permit has been denied in the past 27 years?
— William Patrick
Anchor Point
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