Town tables gravel pit proposal

Residents express concerns about expanded operations

By Jennifer Eisenbart

Staff Writer

With residents protesting the need for yet another gravel pit in the Town of Burlington – and also raising concerns about the environment – the Town Board on Thursday tabled the prospect of accepting a conditional use plan from B.R. Amon and Sons.

The conditional use was to set up an operation for mining gravel next to the existing gravel pit near Highway P. The new operation would use a common driveway with the current pit, and also utilize its gravel-washing facilities.

B.R. Amon President Tom Amon attended the meeting, and said that the idea was to keep the ecological footprint as small as possible. The company would only be excavating a 10-acre site for now, and work from an existing ridgeline back toward Highway P.

However, while Amon said he was more than willing to work on restoration of the area and also other conditions the town wanted to put into place – including figuring out a groundwater map and getting the required DNR permits – there were a number of variables that caused concern not just for Town Board members, but for residents of the area as well.

Patricia Martin said residents of the area had been through the process before, involving lawyers in order to limit the operating hours of the current gravel pit and also to ensure compensation if there was any ground water contamination.

“I would rather we didn’t all need to go through this again and pay a lawyer again,” she said.

Mary Meyer said she still had a whole box full of information from their work to limit the use of the current pit, and added, “I haven’t heard a word about control of noise or dust.”

Another concern of residents in the area is who is actually in control of the current gravel pit. It started out being owned by Mann Construction, but according to Amon, is now Countryside.

Residents also raised concerns about the pit being located too close to residences, and as one person said, “we’re losing the value of our property when this occurs. But I guess that’s life.”

Julie Anderson, director for Racine County Public Works and Development Services, said the county would have to hold a minimum of two meetings because the proposed use doesn’t match the land use plan, and also to amend the land use plan.

As a result, the Town Board tabled all discussion until its April meeting to allow for the Racine County meetings.