10-17-2006 (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

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Approved undesirable to some for redevelopment. She believes that the best use for the site is an outdoor use without the construction of a building, which encourages potential redevelopment. She stated that the benefits of approving this application are that the City would retain an employer with the possibility of expanding employment, maximize the land value of the site to increase its tax value, and it's a desirable use that can be used in New Brighton redevelopments and in the metro area. The applicant used the City's Traffic Consultant to assess the impact of traffic on the site. The facility would be operating at a reduce capacity than the site to the south, which will eliminate truck traffic to the south and not increase the traffic problem at Hwy 96 and Old Hwy 8. The existing facility to the south is in compliance with all noise regulations and the applicant expects that the new operation would continue to operate within those limitations. The applicant has proposed some operational changes to reduce potential noise issues. The applicant is planning on using a new technology called a hush horn to eliminate the backing up noise created by heavy machinery it does not carry for as long of a distance. They will pave the graveled haul road, which will allow the applicant to direct traffic in a better way. The applicant is also proposing to run a crushing operation, similar to what Belair is currently operating, however they will be operating an electric versus a diesel version which is quieter. They will also comply with all day and night time noise regulations. The applicant is also requesting to run a hot mix operation for twenty-four hours a day. However, they would operate in the evening hours only when a contractor calls with a need for hot mix. This is a seasonal operation and would not run all year long. The crushing operation would be run from 7 am and 7 pm,but crushing would not occur constantly during this time period. She addressed the concerns of dust and odor that were raised in the letters sent to the City. Belair installed a state of the art dust control system four years ago and while it can not prevent all dust from leaving the site it has improved the issue. The applicant also has a water truck wet down any un-sprinkled areas and provide additional watering as needed. The paving of the haul road will also help with any dust problems. To help with the odor problem, the applicant is prepared to bring in new hot mix plant equipment. This new equipment will have updated technology that will capture odor, dust, and emissions from those operations. She stated that there were some concerns regarding the screening of the operations. The view of the operation is reasonably well screened from the road, and the adjacent open space. There is a thousand foot clearance from the site to Rush Lake, which provides a buffer to the residential area on the other side of the lake. Stock piles on site are limited to forty feet and the applicant is prepared to comply with that height limit. There would be one view impact for the development; occasionally the operation will emit a steam plume. The new equipment brought on site will be taller than the stock piles. The applicant is requesting as a variance a hot mix/asphalt plant silo operation that could be as tall as seventy feet. The silos will be new, modern looking and have the ability to be painted a neutral color to minimize its impact on the view. In comparison of how tall the C:\Documents and Settings\jgoepe\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\OLK28\10-17-2006.doc Page 3 of 9